TLOD: The Next Generation: Throne of Darkness
by Archangel and Spike
Summary: FINAL CHAPTER POSTED! A dark forging of powers unleashes a terrible beast of supreme destruction with no weakness...except itself. It alone will decide the fate of all.
1. Celebration Before the Nightmare

The Legend of Dragoon: The Next Generation

Prince of Darkness

By Archangel

Chapter One: Celebration Before the Nightmare

"I think I'm gonna hurl." Sean said to the mirror. He stood in the bathroom, staring down his reflection, a tight, wide-eyed, sickly face.

_Don't do that!_ The Divine Dragon laughed in his head. _You'll ruin that perfect suit!_

Sean looked down at his very sharp black tuxedo, complete with black tie and white shirt. The last time he'd dressed this fancy had been at Mike's wedding to Jenn. He had worn it a few times before, when Ben, Brad, and Robert also got married. Now, at long, long last...it was his turn.

Today was the day...Sean McMann and Melissa O'Riley were finally tying the knot. That was why Sean was feeling sickly.

_Since when does the Divine Dragoon get so nervous, much less ill from it?_ The Divine Dragon asked from his safe spot in Sean's pocket. The Dragoon spirits didn't go wit the outfits so well, but the Dragoons couldn't depart from them.

"This is unlike anything I've ever been up against." Sean said. "When it's an enemy of sorts, I know I can tackle it one way or another, and I've done that on occasion, you know. But this...this is something entirely new for me...maybe that's why I'm frightened. I'm vowing never to hurt Melissa again, allowing myself to be bound to her forever." Sean shook his head. "I don't know...maybe it's just paranoia."

_You fear that you will botch the commitment one way or another?_

"That's one way to put it." Sean sighed. "I mean I did it before, right?"

_But you learn from your mistakes._ The Dragon pointed out. _Do not allow the past to haunt you...remember that lesson you learned so long ago? _

Sean gave a small smile. "Do I ever." He had learned so many things, being with his friends, and had truly changed over the years. Only a few months had passed since he proposed to Melissa-they were eager. He was glad and considered himself blessed to have this opportunity: to spend his entire life with the woman he loved. Now...all he had to do was not screw it up! That was the part that kept worrying him.

Sean shook his head. "I'm just nervous. I'll do fine. A relationship is one thing, but marriage will give me more resolve not to screw things up."

_That's the spirit._ The dragon congradulated.

A light knock rapped on the door. Sean quickly washed the sweat off his face and wiped it dry. The leader of the Dragoons must show no fear. Sean turned and opened the door. Standing there was his Best Man, Ben Freeman.

"You okay?" Ben asked.

"Of course! Why wouldn't I be?"

"A simple 'yes' would have made me believe you." Ben gave him a look. "Marriage is a big step. I know how nerve-racking it can be."

Sean portrayed a big grin. "I'm up to the challenge."

"That's one way to look at it." Ben chuckled. "But try to be more courtious with your language."

"What do you mean?"

"No girl likes being referred to as a challenge."

Sean socked him lightly. "Melissa loves it when I call her that. Makes her sound tough."

* * *

The church was packed with Sean's and Melissa's friends and family, intermingling with one another. Up front, Sean's heart pounded mercilessly, echoing in his ears. The organ music played beautifully as couple after couple walked down the isle. Sean saw the faces of his closest friends, his Dragoon companions, most of whom winked as they walked by.

The groomsmen lined up on one side and the bridesmaids on another as the number of couples counted down to the big entrance. Each one made Sean take another deep breath.

"Chill." Ben whispered to him.

"She's almost here." Sean retaliated, explaining his stacattoed breathing.

"Everything is going to be okay." Ben encouraged.

Before Sean could think otherwise, it happened. The organ music stopped, getting ready for the next song, the big song that announced Melissa's coming.

Before it began, Sean stole a glance at the man who would be wedding them, none other than Pastor Mike Edwards. Mike looked back at him and perked his brows in anticipation.

The organist lifted her fingers and struck down the keys before her, booming the announcement. All the crowd stood upon the first few notes and turned to the door in the back.

The doors creaked open and Sean held his breath.

_Here comes the bride,_ the organ declared as the doors opened all the way and Melissa O'Riley stepped inside. Sean's heart stopped, his stomach lept, his eyes widened and his jaw hung open.

Elegant, graceful, radiant, and utterly beautiful were the words running through Sean's mind...along with "perfect." Behind the veil, Melissa's face was flushed with all the eyes staring at her and the gorgeous white gown enveloping her. Her gloved hands held a deathgrip on the bouquet within them, an outlet for the butterflies reproducing in her belly.

Mike couldn't help but stare as Sean did. He had always known his sister to be a bit of a tomboy, and definetely not one to wear dresses, much less a long, flowing, frilly, lacy, expensive, white one. Seeing her like this was a rare treat and Mike could not be happier for her.

The father of Mike and Melissa had been dead for many years, so the one to accompany the bride down the isle was Sean's father, Hank McMann. Hank was aging, as it showed in his weathered face and his white hair, but he still had his health and his spirit, so he didn't act his age, so to speak.

The long walk down the isle finally came to a close and Hank handed off the bride. Sean slowly, but surely took her hand and guided her up even with him. He stared at her through the veil, to those beautiful eyes, those windows to her shimmering soul. Her smile was intoxicating. She was as excited as Sean was. It took a moment for them to both remember where they were and they turned to face the pastor. Mike beamed brightly to his sister, pronouncing his gladness for her, and then turned it to Sean, warmly welcoming the new family member.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Mike began, "We're gathered here to witness the union of Sean McMann and Melissa O'Riley..."

Mike went about the speech, repeating much of what he said at many weddings, though he was the most enthusiastic about this one. Finally, it came to the vows.

"Sean and Melissa have written their own vows," Mike told the audience, "which they will recite now. Melissa?"

Christie Freeman, fellow friend and Dragoon, stepped up to give Melissa a microphone for all to hear her words.

She cleared her throat and tried to remember what she had rehearsed.

"Sean...we've been through a lot together, you know. It's been a roller coaster of ups and downs, goods and bads...and it's been worth every hurtle. Since we were teenagers, you've had my affection, and I've waited far too long for this day." The audience chuckled with glee. Melissa continued.

"Since you came into my life...you've opened my eyes to a whole new life." She winked at Sean to show the hidden meaning. "So much changed since you stepped into my life, all for the better, of course. If you hadn't come around, I don't know where I would be, and I don't know where I'd be if you ever left...so...now that his day has come, I can finally tie you down! Ha!" The crowd laughed again.

"Call it romantic security." Melissa laughed. "So, this is my life now...and you're every part of it. Sean, McMann, I do take you as my husband. I vow to forever honor you, support you, cherish you, love you...and totally rock your world."

While the audience laughed, Melissa turned and winked to Brittany Sparks, who had added in that last line at the last minute.

Mike rubbed the bridge of his nose, trying to force the image out of his head. "Okay...Sean? Your turn."

Sean had lost his memory by this point and fought to regain it as Melissa handed him the microphone.

"Melissa...before I met you, I was blind. I kept a shell around my emotions so they couldn't get damage again. I tried to force you away, but you kept pounding at my walls with utmost fury and passion, and finally, you broke though.

"Since that night so many years ago, I've seen the world in a new light. I was able to feel again, to laugh and to cry. Even in the painful times, just having the emotion back felt so wonderful. If it hadn't been for you, I wouldn't be the man I am today.

"In return, Melissa O'Riley, I promise to let you change me however you see fit." The crowd chuckled. "And I promise to love you, honor you, and protect you for today and all of our tomorrows."

Melissa was ever-so-anxious to kiss him right then and there, but she waited for the big moment.

"And sorry." Sean concluded. "I don't have a whimsical line to end with." Everyone laughed as Mike took the floor once more.

"Is there anyone here who believe that his couple should not unite? If so, speak now or forever hold your peace."

Robert Williams nudged Brad Sparks. "I dare you to say something."

Brad shot him a wide-eye stare. "Sean would tear me to pieces!"

"Alright then" Mike said after the silence "Bring up the rings."

The little ring bearer brough the couple their rings and they held them over each others' fingers and waited.

"Sean," Mike began, "Do you take my sister..." they all laughed. "...to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold for better or worse, richer or poorer, and in sickness and health?"

"Darn straight." Sean smirked. Mike turned to Melissa.

"Sis...do you take this guy to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and hold for better or worse, richer or pooer, and in sickenss and health."

"Uh-huh!" With her brimming excitement, Melissa squeaked out the words and then quickly covered her mouth in utter embarassment as the audience laughed it up.

Brittany grinned deviously. "I will never let her live this down."

Mike regained himself. "That's a yes if I ever heard it. Good then! I now pronounce you both...man and wife! Sean, kiss her already."

Sean pulled the veil over her head and rushed to merge his lips with hers as the audience applauded joyfully.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Mike wrapped up, "I present to you Mr. And _Mrs._ Sean McMann."

The audience stood and cheered for the couple as they walked down the isle, arm in arm, as happy as their bodies and spirits could allow.

The other Dragoons gathered together in the front. Brad, Robert, Mike, Christie, Brittany, and Ben exhanged smiles and were quickly joined by Jennifer Edwards, Mike's wife, and Marian Willaims, Rob's wife.

"That's all of us!" Rob joked.

"Took 'em long enough!" Brittany chuckled. "But at least they got all the kinks worked out beforehand."

"Yeah." Mike nodded. "I think they'll be alright."

"Of course they will." Ben said. "They're Dragoons! What's the worst that-?"

Five hands shot out to cover his mouth. The Dragoons knew well enough never to ask that question.

* * *

_Some years later..._

Melbu Frahma, wingly dictator of old. Adam Young, teenager who allied himself to darkness to win the heart of a girl. Frank Darteth, morbid man turned into a soul-stealing monster.

Zackwell, a demon of unthinkable might. It was he who revived Melbu Frahma from within his prison of light so that the evil dictator may continue his dark reign. It was he who gave Adam his powers in exchange for a way to escape from that prison. It was he who converted Darteth into the evil fiend he became. All of these evils came to be because of Zackwell.

He was an incredible criminal mastermind, a malicious genious. Only one force had ever been able to destroy him: the Dragoons. He vowed revenge on their kind afterwards. Eight hundred years later, he siezed his chance. A young boy had been chosen by one of the dragons and was training early. Zackwell came to destroy him, but his guardian, a very powerful wingly, fought him. She was destroyed, but in her last moments, she sealed him in a world of light. Being a creature of darkness, he suffered ongoing pain day and night.

Every day he fought to escape the light realm. On the outside, he had an ally: Melbu Frahma. He fought to destroy the dragoons but was destroyed.

Zackwell got another chance with Adam Young, a young man who got lost and found himself in Mayfil. Zackwell gave him the power to immitate a dark dragoon in exchange for aid in escaping. Unfortunately, Adam was not evil at heart and overcame Zackwell's influence and foiled his escape at the last second.

Frank Darteth was also be granted great power, but before doing so, he was able to finally release Zackwell. Darteth was defeated, but Zackwell continued on in his reign of terror. He created a dark army from the soil of Mayfil and launched it on the humans. However, they ran into the same wall that had stopped everything else: The Dragoons.

Eight humans given the powers of fallen dragons and guided by their spirits, this team challenged every threat to humanity. They began as a handful of inexperienced teens, but time molded them into hardened soldiers. They didn't know it, but every time they fought an evil force, they had been fighting Zackwell in the background.

Zackwell finally faced them himself but was struck down the the blade of irony. The boy that Zackwell had attempted to kill when he was sent to the light realm was Sean McMann. That boy grew to be the leader of the dragoons. In this position, it was he who finally destroyed Zackwell, getting revenge for him killing Anna, Sean's wingly step-mother.

But demons are never killed; just demoted. Upon his defeat, Zackwell was sent right back to where he was created: The Eternal Abyss. It was here that he had been crowned King of Darkness on Earth and granted unfathomable dominant power.

However, when Zackwell returned to Hell, the situation was very different. There were few names higher than his and who else would he meet upon returning than the head of them all: Lucifer himself.

Lucifer was enraged by Zackwell's defeat. For thousands of years, Lucifer had been attempting to destroy the Dragoons, the undoers of all evil, but could not grasp them. Zackwell had been in charge of that department, but had failed thrice. Few dared to fail even once, for fear of Lucifer's wrath.

The only reason Zackwell would not be eternally tortured was due to Zackwell's tremendous amount of victories and the countless souls he had attained. He was allowed to remain unscathed, but he would never again see the light of day.

And so, here Zackwell sat sulking, stripped of his title and his pride, humiliated amongst his own kind. He was laughed at, ridiculed, and forever taunted. They called him the Demon Who Fell Furthest. Zackwell could not believe his miserable luck. He had gone from King of Darkness...to this...guard duty.

Within Hell lay countless prison cells, stacked atop each other in long, seemingly endless rows. Inside them, the souls would lie, shrieking in pain, only awaiting their next punishment session.

Guard duty was the lowliest of demon positions. Why? Because no one escaped the Abyss-ever. Zackwell was chief warden of the prisons, but it didn't help much. He would have even preferred to be a warden in the demon prisons, special cells set aside for traitors and continuous failures. There was more of the later; no one ever _tried_ to displease Lucifer. It was the biggest act of foolishness one could perform! These cells actually saw some action, with demons trying to escape their punishment, but humans could never leave-they didn't have the means.

Even worse, Zackwell was only in charge of the red-level cells. Red! The lowliest layer of Hell! Zackwell was utterly miserable in his position, torn from his place at the top and thrown down to his knees, forced to watch others do what he used to.

Then, one day...it finally happened.

Zackwell sat in his chambers, uninterested in the work before him. It was the usual junk; countless attempted escapes, but no successes. Zackwell didn't want to be bothered with the boredom. He lay back in his chair, eyes closed, remembering the good ol' days, where he was a vicious monster that tore apart human souls.

Suddenly, the door opened and a black figure walked in. Zackwell sat up straight, eager to hear the news. The demon didn't seem too pleased.

"Lucifer has agreed to see you...you must come at once."

Zackwell's eyes lit up. This was his chance- his only chance to regain his former glory. He jumped to the chance, exiting his chambers quickly.

Outside, Zackwell looked over a rail to see the stacked prison cells and could fully hear the cries of the souls-it was the only real perk to the job. However, Zackwell cared not for any of them, not even their outcries. He was in an anxious hurry.

Zackwell jumped off the balcony and allowed himself to fall, flying past row after row of prison cells. Ride fire licked all around him, but he was not singed. He was used to it. Zackwell pumped his wings, flying faster and faster downward, searching for the bottom of this pit. It was quite a flight before he saw the floor. Next came a talent only demon's possessed: passing through to the next level.

Zackwell flew right through the floor. He exited the red level and entered the blue. It was called such because the fires were an eerie blue hue, burning hotter than those of the red level. Down here, the torture was worse and the prisoners cried louder. As stated earlier, Zackwell was in charge of the weakest level.

Still, he pressed on, flying a nearly equal distance to the ground and passed through once more, entering the last void, the innermost circle of Hell: the black level.

In here, there was not the faintest glimmer of light, only pure darkness and tongues of black fire, licking at you. Only demons could see through the darkness and Zackwell could see the souls of the damned, shrieking in agony as the black fire scorched them endlessly. It was rumored that if black fire were to ever touch the earch, no amount of water could put it out, and it would scorch the entire planet. However, no one, not even Lucifer, could figure out how to get it to the surface.

Speaking of Lucifer...

Zackwell redirected his gaze to his goal. He flew down to the ground, but did not land. He flew parallel to it until he found a large chamber. Zackwell flew inside and allowed himself to fall down the narrow tunnel. Down, down, down into the darkness, into the chambers of Lucifer.

When Zackwell landed, he looked about the darkness. On the other end of the sizeable room, Zackwell sat at a large, stone desk, his chair facing away from Zackwell. On his back wall, Lucifer had set up a large display of numerous screens, each like a television turned to a different channel. Among the pictures, Zackwell could see that Lucifer had set them up to promote humility. Each screen showed Zackwell facing the Dragoons in one way or another. Zackwell knew the outcome of each story: He would lose. His eyes narrowed at Lucifer's cruelty, but dared not say anything.

"As you can see," Lucifer said in his deep, regal voice that sent a shiver up even Zackwell's spine. "You have repeatedly angered me. Your plans haven't proven very useful against the Dragoons in the past..."

Lucifer turned in his chair and faced Zackwell. "So this one better be good."

Zackwell smiled. "You will, My Lord. I-"

"The only reason I agreed to see you," Lucifer interrupted, "Was that your messenger said that you mentioned someone more powerful than yourself. It's not like you to be so humble, Zackwell...what are you planning?"

From there, Zackwell explained his brilliant new plan of action, detail for detail. Zackwell was a bit surprised how long Lucifer allowed him to speak, and even more surprising, he seemed interested.

Zackwell finished his speech, unsure where to go form there. He hadn't expected to get this far; coming here was a long shot.

Lucifer sat with his hands folded in front of his face, his eyes boring against Zackwell's, studying. Zackwell went further out on the limb.

"I take it my plan appeases you?"

Lucifer's eyes narrowed, as if unhappy with his decision. "Remarkably enough."

Zackwell felt a rush of hope and adrenaline rush over his spirit. "Do you agree to let it pass, then?"

"I am hesitant." Lucifer clarified. "I'm not too fond of allowing you to return to the surface after your misgivings. However..." Lucifer rubbed his left temple. "You are the only one who can strike the Dragoons hard enough emotionally...so only you could go through with the plan..."

Zackwell held his breath.

"The other thing I am hesitant about is your request for two souls. Can you guess how often I let a soul leave this place?" His terrorizing sneer said enough. "And yet...if all goes well, the Dragoons could finally be out of my way...I do not like a troubling dilemma, Zackwell." He closed his eyes and considered deeply the outcomes. Finally, he spoke.

"Alright. You may put your plan into motion."

Zackwell fought to contain his excitement. "Thank you, my Lord! You will not regret this decision!"

"I had better not. Because if I regret it...you will regret it."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Ahoy hoy. Archangel here, back to send in the final installment of our series. Hopefully, you'll appreciate it as much as you did the previous story-over 130 reviews! THANK YOU ALL!

Anyway, I know this was posted quickly, but Spike's last chapter was very short, so I figured I'd give you something more to read.

This story is significantly longer than any of the other stories, I'll warn you all now, but I'll do my best to keep you entertained. Things are going to get VERY messy in this story and the world will flip entirely, you'll see soon enough. Please review your thoughts. Enjoy!


	2. Murder in Ulara

OPENING NOTES: Kupo14: 7 circles of hell? Nah, just three.Visited the place myself. Not a fun vacation spot-has a 100 depression rate-everybody's bummin. Actually, there may be 7 cirlces of hell, I have no clue. Just using 3 in this story cuz...well, that's all I got. :D

Kermit the Great:...you're sick.

Chapter Two: Murder in Ulara

With a desperate burst of strength, a skeleton hand burst through the black soil of Mayfil with a shriek of darkness. The hand gripped the ground, giving support enough for the rest of the body to emerge. The head and torso forced itself through the ground, gasping for breath. It leaned against the ground, taking a breather before its next task.

Lifting a shaky hand, the skeleton's eyes glowed deep red as a frightening, ghost-like cry, let out, summonding the darkness. The dirt of Mayfil trembled under the influence and flew to the skeleton. The dust swirled around the skeleton until it created a black, opaque tornado. When the force settled, Zackwell felt like his old self again.

Zackwell slumped over, panting heavily, looking himself over. The darkness of Mayfil's soil restored his body, refreshing his frightening image.

Utilizing his restored muscles, Zackwell pushed the rest of his body out of the ground and slumped on his back, breathing in the dark fumes that surrounded the city, restoring his stamina.

Zackwell could hardly believe he was even back on Earth. Lucifer allowed Zackwell to return to Earth on one accord: he had to get out of Hell by himself. Of course, this was no easy task, but when Lucifer isn't breathing down your neck, it becomes much easier. The process was slow and tedious, but it finally happened. He had literally pulled himself back together. However, he did not have the strength to become the monster that challenged the Rage Dragoon. He was barely powerful enough to maintain his humanoid form. The pain he felt upon restoring himself and even as he lay there reminded him of the battle he had with Sean. Every last detail ran through his head again.

After a moment of rest, he tested his voice.

"How...could he...defeat...me?" Zackwell wheezed. "How could...he be so...so powerful?" His mind raced back and forth, demanding an answer, but all it knew was vengance.

"He made a fool...out of me...he...ridiculed me...I lost...everything to him! I will...tear...him...to pieces...if it destroys me!"

He rolled onto his stomach. "This...this is unacceptable! I cannot stand for this...this...this mockery of an existance! It cannot come to pass again!"

Zackwell strained to pull himself onto his knees. "It will not happen again." He snickered as he ran over his plan once again. "He is not unstoppable. He is still human. He may be powerful, but I can still break him!" His strength slowly returning, Zackwell pushed himself onto his feet.

"Unfortunately...his destruction will have to wait a while. I have bigger plans that require early planning." He let out an evil, giddy chuckled. "So many ways to break them, I can hardly contain it!"

Zackwell cracked his knuckles and flexed his muscles, regaining his familiarity with himself. "Now then...what's the perfect opening to this chain reaction of destruction?"

* * *

Jennifer Edwards turned to her husband, Mike. She rubbed his arm lightly and whispered to him. "Mike...Mike, wake up."

"Mmm..." Mike muttered.

Seeing that this wasn't working well, Jenn moved in and tenderly kissed his lips. A second later, she felt him kiss her back wearily.

"Good morning to you too." He whispered.

"Hey there." She cooed.

"Hi...why'd you wake me up? I'm tired still."

"Because I have a question for you."

"Mm-hmm. What's that?"

She took his hands in hers and put them up to their faces with a big grin.

"Where the heck are we?"

Mike blinked and looked around. Sure enough, he was not in his room. However, he did recognize the style of the house. Mike jumped out of bed and ran to the window.

"Just as I thought." he turned around to his wife. "Hey, Jenn? Remember how you said you wanted to go on a vacation to somewhere interesting and exotic?"

* * *

Sean McMann threw off the covers and got out of the bed that he hadn't fallen asleep in, wearing clothes that weren't his. He walked across the house that he didn't own, exiting through the door he'd never entered and looked around the city he didn't live in.

Ulara, the Spring Breath Town. This beautiful haven was the last home of the winglies, the humanoid magicians that aided the dragoons on more than one occasion.

While the dragoons were great friends with these winglies, the only time they ever came to their home was when something was very wrong.

Sean ran down the cobblestone streets, right to the largest home in the city. It was more of a palace than a home, seeing as it belonged to the leader of the winglies: Charle Frahma.

Sean walked right into the house and found his way into the dining room. Several winglies were just setting the table. They all looked up at him in shock. After looking at each other for a moment, one turned back to Sean.

"You're here early. Breakfast is still being prepared."

"Breakfast, huh? I thought so. Where's Charle?"

"Uh..." He looked around, but nobody knew. "We don't know. She said that she was going to eat with you all today and explain everything, so...I guess wait until then."

Sean thought about it and nodded. "Alright...until then."

* * *

The Dragoons weren't too happy about being pulled from their lives and thrown into a completely different setting with no warning at all. Jenn, however, was extatic.

"Ulara?" She exclaimed. "_The_ Ulara!"

"There's only one." Mike nodded.

"Wow." Jenn was highly admiring the scenery. "This is awesome! How long are we staying here?"

"Hopefully not long." Mike said. "Every time we come here, it's for a bad reason."

"Really? Like what?"

Robert Williams stepped in, leaning on Mike's shoulder.

"Hmm, well...the first time we were taken here...we ended up fighting Melbu Frahma, where we almost died, so...that was unpleasant."

Brad Sparks came in and leaned on Mike's other shoulder. "After that, we came here a bunch of times because we were getting knocked out of commission one by one. Your husband's throat was slit on that adventure."

Brad's wife Brittany came up behind Mike, peering past his head. "And then we were all here because out souls were stolen. Basically, we're only here on emergency purposes."

Jenn looked around the place. "Why?"

All four of them looked to each other for a reason, but couldn't find one.

"So...we know there's a problem?" Brad tried.

Jenn rolled her eyes and moved past the four stooges.

"What about you, Marian? You said you were from here, right?"

Marian Williams, Robert's wingly wife nodded.

"That's right. This place hasn't changed all that much, but you can't really expect it to."

"We'll explore the place later." Robert promised her. "That sound good?"

"Sounds real good."

"An explination would sound better." Sean muttered.

"Well," Robert spoke up. "She hasn't been here in a long time and I'm sure she wants to-"

Sean rolled his eyes. "I mean about why we're here."

Melissa McMann just shrugged. "Oh, I'm sure it's a good reason."

Sean waved his hand at Mike and his entourage. "You heard them! It's never a good reason!"

Melissa chuckled. "I just hope Eric is okay." Eric was their two-year-old son.

"Hey!" A familiar voice called. Christie Freeman and her husband Ben were rushing to meet up with the gang. Actually, Christie was rushing and Ben was just stumbling, seeming to be in a daze.

"What took you too so long?" Sean asked them.

"Oh, you know Doctor Sleepheavy." Christie sighed, indicating Ben, the heaviest sleeper in the group.

"Ahh." Ben muttered. It was all the energy he had to say.

"And I advise you watch what you say. He didn't get much sleep and he's not happy about it."

"Ahh." Ben said again.

"C'mon, guys." Sean led. "Let's see what Charle need us for this time."

Four years had passed since the nightmare with Zackwell and much had happened.

Mike had married his college sweetheart, Jenn. Ever since he told her his secret, she was always asking questions about his lifestyle. She wanted to know everything about what Mike did, which he was more than happy to bestow with a little exaggeration of his character.

Brad and Brittany had their first child, a little girl, Sabrina, who would be four in a couple months. Afterwards, Brittany put herself on an extreme workout program and got back into her lovely figure. After all, one has to be in shape to fight evil.

Ben and Christie were still going strong. They'd often been told that they were the perfect couple and they were displaying it boldly. Their son Mark was now four, but like Brad and Brittany, they hadn't told their child about what they did. As far as they were concerned, they were too young to understand. Besides, ignorance is bliss.

Speaking of bliss, Sean felt like he was in the pinnacle of his life. After finally marrying the love of his life, Melissa, he felt like nothing could go wrong. He was keeping his pride in check. After all, the last thing he wanted to do was botch his relationship with her now. As far as he knew, if he made another mistake like that, she would leave him for good, which he could not bear. Their relationship was going very well. They even had a son, Eric, who was now two years old.

Robert and Marian...were actually the same, a human and a wingly who worked out their differences and stuck together. Marian was wondering about having a child of her own, but every time Robert thought about the "fun possibilities" of a cross-breed, she reconsidered.

After four years, the Dragoons were awakened from their peaceful slumber. They could only hope the darkness would not be as difficult to conquer as the last one. Only Sean could fully remember the glory and the horrors of the last battle. He had unleashed the powers of all eight dragoons and created an entirely new power: the Rage Dragoon. After seeing an apparation of his fallen step-mother, Sean unleashed his anger up Zackwell, obliterating the monster for all time.

Zackwell had been the source of all of Sean's pain. Once he was dead, Sean knew that the worst of his problems was through. At this point, he figured he could handle anything.

The eight dragoons, the wingly, and the human, all walked together into Charle's home and sat around the dining table with Charle at the head. As soon as the food was served, Sean began the interrogation.

"Okay, Charle. Why are we here?"

"Don't you like Ulara?" She toyed.

"Sure, but the last time you took us here in our sleep, we ended up fighting Melbu Frahma. I can't wait to hear what you have for us this time."

"Always right down to business." Charle sighed. "Alright, here's the situation: something is stirring. We've sensed an impending darkness, but we're not positive of what it is."

"Do you know anything about it?"

"Well, it's unpleasant and unhappy. Those are the only things we've felt. However, what alarms us the most is where we think it is headed: here."

"Here?" Sean repeated. "You mean like right here in Ulara?"

"Exactly."

"But I thought this place was hidden." Melissa spoke up.

"It seems that this darkness found us. We'll be ready when it comes, but having all of you around would certainly give us an edge, you understand?"

"You want us to stick around and kill this thing, huh?" Sean gathered. "I'm not saying no, but I wish you could give us more intel."

"When we have more, we'll report it to you."

Sean looked at the rest of his group. "What do you guys think? Stay here for a while?"

"I will!" Jenn bounced.

Mike laughed. "She loves this place."

"Well, thank you." Charle smiled.

"But that brings up a point." Mike continued. "I'm a little surprised that you brought her here. I mean she's only human."

"Hey!" Jenn snapped.

"Well, she already knew about your powers." Charle explained. "Besides, I'm not sure you would want a decoy imitating you now that you're married. After all, I'm sure she wouldn't know the difference..."

"I get it." Mike shook the image out of his head. "Anyway, I can stay for a while I guess."

"Ditto." Brad nodded. "I need a change."

"Yeah," Brittany spoke up, "But what about Sabrina, or the other kids?"

"We've sent decoys to take your places as usual." Charle promised. "Your children will be taken care of."

"Then I'm cool." Christie nodded.

"I'm good." Ben agreed.

"Thounth good." Robert mumbled through mouthfuls of food. Everyone seemed to like the idea.

"We'll try to keep you as short a time as possible." Charle said. "We'll see what happens from there."

"Okay." Sean said. "But about our weapons and clothing..."

* * *

The Dragoons obtained a few weapons to use until their own equipment was returned to them. They practiced with each other and trained winglies for hours. They couldn't all fight at once, though. If the evil struck when they were all weary, they were doomed. They practiced in shifts. While one group practiced, the other group woulud be on the lookout for anything. Evil did not come to Ulara that day, so they all turned in for the night. The next morning, a horrible surprise awaited them.

Sean awoke with a start, seeing that he wasn't breathing. He found Melissa with her hand closing his nose.

"Did I snore?" He mumbled.

"Nah." Melissa asnwered. "I just wanted you to enjoy the morning with me, that's all." She rested her head on his shoulder and stroked his chest.

Sean kissed her forehead and snuggled next to her. "I'm already enjoying it."

At that oh-so-untimely moment, their door burst open and a female wingly stepped in. It was Caron, Charle's closest friend and assistant. She looked horrified.

"Caron?" Melissa asked.

"There have been several murders." Caron reported. "Five to be exact."

Sean bolted straight up. "What!"

"Charle thinks it might have something to do with the evil she sensed coming. She wants you all to investigate."

"We're on it."

* * *

None of them were real detectives, but they decided to give it a shot. Five murders in one night. No one had known anything until the next morning. The frightening thing was that the culprit was probably still in the city.

No one knew where to start, so the chief wingly detective took them into the home of one of the victims.

"It's the strangest thing." The detective said. "We inspected the body and concluded that there was no struggle at all. The victim died in his sleep, stabbed through the heart by a slightly curved blade."

"What's so strange about that?" Ben had to ask.

"Wait until you see the bedroom." He led them into that room and saw the body with a horrid gash in its chest. "Barely had time to think."

"Well, other than the dead body," Christie said, "what's unusual?"

"That." The detective pointed to a wall, to a drawing in blood.

"Oh, that's lovely." Brittany squirmed. The picture was runny, of course, but distinguishable.

"Looks like a can." Melissa observed. "I don't get it."

Sean turned to Mike. "Mike. You're pretty good with puzzles and stuff, right?"

"Yeah."

"Think you can decipher it?"

Mike stared at him, then at the blood painting. "It's...a bloody can. That doesn't mean anything to me."

"There were pictures in the other houses too." The detective informed him. "Perhaps they are linked?"

"Well, that might help." Mike admitted.

"Okay," Sean said. "Mike, you stick around and figure it out. The rest of us are going to train. This thing could still be in Ulara."

"Got it." Mike nodded.

"Can I stay too?" Jenn asked.

"I don't think that's a good idea." Mike shook his head. "They say the murderer always returns to the scene of the crime."

"Ah, you'll protect me!"

"Jenn..."

"Alright, alright. Have fun without me."

"Will do!" He kissed her cheek and she walked off.

Each home had the same scenario: a victim struck down in his or her sleep by a stab wound to the heart. The only thing different about each setting was the blood paining. The blood on the second wall illustrated a hand pointing outward, to the person looking at the picture. The third picture was another hand, but it simply had its palm out with all fingers pointing upwards as in a "halt" motion. The fourth bloodbath depicted a brain.

"A can, two hand signals, and a brain." Mike ran them over again, drawing the pictures on a notepad as they walked into the last home. "Maybe this last picture will solve the riddle."

"I doubt it." The detective scoffed.

"Why's that?"

"Take a look." They walked into the room and Mike looked around. There was no blood on the walls. He even looked on the ceiling, but there was nothing.

"Okay..." Mike scratched his noggin. "Maybe the point is that there's no picture." He wrote "blank wall" on the notepad. "Alright...let's break this down piece by piece. A can...a can...okay skip that one. The pointing hand. I guess that means us, or from the killer's point of view, 'you.' The palm-up hand looks like 'halt.' And the brain...what could that symbolize? A mind? And the blank wall...oh that one's easy to figure out."

"What does it mean?" The detective asked.

"It means I've got nothing! I'm blank! I can't figure this stupid thing out. For all I know, this creep did this just to confuse me." Mike rubbed his temple. If there was one thing that bugged him, it was not being able to figure something out. "Come on, Mike. What would they do on C.S.I.?"

"What?" the detective asked.

"It's a TV show where they solve crimes. I've watched a million episodes and I know there's something I'm not thinking of." He looked around. "Or something I'm not seeing." The more he wondered, the quicker he thought. "Maybe...I just can't see it..." Instantly, Mike jumped up and ran out the door. "I'll be right back!"

* * *

"Demon's Dance!" Melissa shouted. Robert stumbled back and fell to the ground. Melissa pointed her sword at his throat. "You're dead."

"Nice job, Melissa." Sean said. "Alright. Robert, you get out here and Christie, go in." But then, Mike ran in and grabbed Melissa's arm.

"I need your help!" Then he was off, dragging her behind him. The other Dragoons looked at each other in confusion, and then followed.

* * *

Mike brought Melissa back to the room.

"Mike! What's going on?"

"Look!" He waved his arm around the room.

"There's nothing here."

"So it seems." He said as the other Dragoons caught up to him.

"Yo, Mike, what' going on?" Ben asked.

"Every murder sight had a picture except this one, but I think there's something here. We're just not seeing it. Why? Because our eyes can't distinguish it. Most crime labs have to use black lights to see blood. That's why I dragged you here, Melissa."

"You want me to be a black light?"

"Yeah! You're the Darkness Dragoon! And I need you to cancel out all other light. You can do it, can't you?"

"Yeah, I guess so. Alright, hang on." Melissa closed her eyes and silently called upon her powers, tapping into her Dragoon Spirit. The spirit shimmered and filled her with dark magic. The adrenaline flowed through her veins and exited through her body, surrounding her in a dark bubble. When it vanished, Melissa was clad in the dark blue armor of the Dark Dragoon.

"Okay." Mike nodded, having seen it a thousand times. "Kick it!"

Melissa's spirit shone again and filled the room, extinguishing all light. From that spirit, there shone a bright, deep blue light. She looked to her right and still found a blank wall. When she turned to her left, she stopped and gasped.

"Just as I thought." Mike said. There was a picture there, but this one made much more sense. For a moment, nobody spoke, for they all recognized it. They just stared at the picture.

Finally, Sean's fist clenched as he sneered at the figure in the picture. "Zackwell."

The picture showed Zackwell stabbing someone in the chest with his scythe, but he was facing the Dragoons and pointing to himself with his thumb. A large smile was spread across his face.

Mike looked through the pictures again.

"Well it's obvious who the murderer is, and I think I've figured out the riddle. The can really meant 'can', the pointing hand meant 'you', the palm-up hand meant 'halt' or 'stop' and the brain resembled thinking. And look the picture shows Zackwell pointing to himself. Besides this one, we saw the pictures all out of order. Zackwell is speaking. He's saying 'Think you can stop me?'"

"But if Zackwell murdered those people," Sean said, "then that means…he's alive!"

"Exactly!" An all-too-familiar voice bellowed from above. The Dragoons looked up as Zackwell grinned from where he clung to the ceiling. "Alive and ready for REVENGE!"

Zackwell shot to the ground. The instant he hit it, a black shockwave burst around the room, blasting the Dragoons out of the house. They scattered in the air with the explosion, protected only by their dragons, which were quick enough to create shields to protect their spirit bearers.

Sean hit the ground and rolled to a stop. When the blast erupted, Zackwell shot himself into the air. He flipped in the sky and landed over Sean, his scythe in hand and a cold, malicious grin on his face.

"We meet again." He snickered.

Sean shook his head in disbelief. "No...no way! You're dead! I killed you!"

"And how unpleasant it was!" He swung his scythe down.

Sean's Dragoons Spirit shimmered brightly as Sean crossed his arms. The armor plating on them blocked the blade. Sean's arm transformed into its cannon form and he fired a quick blast at Zackwell strong enough to knock him back into the sky. Sean catapulted up as the rest of his armor encased him. Normally, Sean would stay on low-power, but he knew Zackwell was much too strong of an enemy for that.

Zackwell landed on his feet and thrust himself forward again. Sean fired another blast from his cannon, but Zackwell dove under it and rolled into a high jump, swinging his blade down.

Sean drew his own blade and blocked his strike, plus several others. Brad jumped back up and rushed to the scene. He lifted his hands up into the sky as dark clouds quickly rushed together.

"Atomic Mind!" He swung his arms down as a great bolt struck Zackwell in the head. Sean took the opportunity to stab his foe in the belly. Zackwell grunted at the stike and shot his hand out, blowing Sean back.

The deep, normally fatal wound was quickly healed by Zackwell's dark magic. "As you can see, my regenorative skills have increased." He jumped and backflipped to avoid Ben's dive-bomb and turned to face the other dragoons rushing at him. He grinned as they surrounded him, weapons drawn.

"I'm flattered that you all want a piece of me," Zackwell said, "But I'm afraid that there is only one Dragoon that I am interested in."

Sean stepped forward. "Let me take a wild guess at who it is." He brandished his blade. "Let me do this, guys. You'll know if I need help."

Zackwell cocked his head. "You're awfully concieted, aren't you?" Zackwell dove at him and their blades clashed, but Zackwell rolled over the attack and jumped to the side. Sean turned to face him again and froze in shock.

Zackwell stood behind Christie with the tip of his scythe at her neck.

"One wrong move and she dies!"

"Christie!" Ben exclaimed.

"Let her go, Zackwell!" Sean commanded. "It's me you want!"

"How right you are, and yet how wrong."

Christie spoke up. "One thing you'll learn about us Dragoons, Zackwell: We don't take kindly to threats." Christie's wings shone with white light and cut through Zackwell's sides and shone even brighter, burning Zackwell from within.

He cringed, but kept his grip on her.

"I spent years in a light prison." He seethed. "I'm used to this treatment!"

Zackwell grabbed her throat and black energy swarmed through her body.

"AAAAHHH!" She cried out.

"Christie!" Ben shouted, but he dared not move, due to Zackwell's threat.

Soon, Christie's dragoon armor faded away as she fell limp in Zackwell's arms.

"You-!" Ben started towards him, but Zackwell stopped him.

"Stay back!" His scythe was still pointed at her throat. "She is still alive. After all, I have big plans for her." He grabbed her Dragoon Spirit and tore it off her neck. "If you want her back, come get her in Mayfil!"

Zackwell's wings spread wide as black smoke surrounded them. "By the way...you should check on Charle. She's not feeling too lively." Zackwell's wings curled around himself and his captive as he the smoke surrounded them. Within it, Zackwell and Christie disappeared, his evil cackle filling the air.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: What could Zackwell be up to? Why would he want Christie? This is only the primary phase of Zackwell's diabolical plan, so stay tuned to find out just what he's up to. Please review this chap, though!


	3. Saving Christie

OPENING NOTES: To Whambamm: Yeah, there'll be a lotta cliffhangers. Anywho, I noticed in the last story, you wished Marian would've been fleshed out a little more cuz ya like winglies. Well, lucky you, Marian's role WILL be fleshed out in this story and she'll take on a much more important role...after a lil while, though.

Enjoy, all!

Chapter Three: Saving Christie

"NO!" Ben bellowed, throwing his sword at the smoky remains. "I don't believe this!"

Sean grabbed his friend's shoulder. "We'll get her back, Ben. I promise."

"We have to go to Mayfil, NOW!"

"Alright, just calm down, Ben. We'll talk to Charle and...wait a second. What did Zackwell say about Charle?"

Suddenly, there came a blood-curling scream from Charle's palace.

"This day just keep getting better and better." Robert sighed.

"C'mon!" Sean commanded. He ran and the others followed the sound of the scream, right into Charle's home. Many winglies seemed to be running the same direction, so the Dragoons followed. The crowd ran right to Charle's bedroom. At the door, Caron sat crying in shock.

Sean ran in and instantly turned his head away from the scene. A few other Dragoons made it inside and trampled each other trying to get out.

"What?" Mike asked. "What is it?"

"You ever see the movie Alien?" Brad asked him.

"Yeah, why?"

"It's like that...but everywhere!"

Sean gathered up his wits and walked back into the room. The walls were covered in fresh blood. Charle's body was face-up on her bed, gutted. It looked as though her entire torso had been scooped out...or blown out. Zackwell would not offer a clean death for the leader of the winglies, of course. The only thing identifiable was the head. It was definitely Charle, and she had been gutted like a fish.

Sean edged his way closer to Charle, his shoes slopping in the wet blood. The stench alone nearly buckled Sean's legs. The only thing that kept him upright was the horror of falling in the red goop. By the marks on Charle's arms, legs, and face, it seemed that there had been a struggle, a big one. Charle would never give up without a fight. But how had she fought and no one known?Sean sighed. The riddle. Sean had set up the other murders to distract the Dragoons from his realtarget. Nice job, Saviors of the World.Sean looked at her eyes, which were wide-open. Fortunately, her pupils were still visible. Her soul had not been stolen. Sean sighed in relief and reported the news to the other Dragoons.

"Her soul wasn't taken."

"Who would do such a thing?" Caron spat out.

"Zackwell would." Sean sighed. "He attacked us a moment ago."

"Zackwell!" Caron jumped up. "That monster is back?"

"Yeah. I don't know how...but he's also the one that killed the other winglies."

"Not only that," Ben spoke up, "But he kidnapped Christie. Caron, we need your help. We need to get to Mayfil as soon as possible."

Caron was still shaking, but she had to shake her head. "I'm sorry, Ben. I cannot help you right now."

Ben was appalled. "What do you mean you can't help?"

"I'm sorry, Ben, but I can't teleport you to Mayfil right now. We've just lost our leader and we need to resituate ourselves. It's a very bad time right now."

"Then I'll fly there myself! Just give me directions!"

"Can you give us a map or something?" Sean tried.

Caron took a breath. "Yes, but...not right now. I can get one to you tonight."

"Tonight!" Ben exploded. "My wife is-"

"It's the best I can do, Ben! Besides, this will give you a chance to rest up and formulate a plan."

Ben took a few breaths. He wasn't happy about the situation, but he didn't have much of a choice.

"Alright." Ben sighed.

Caron left with a few other winglies.

* * *

Ben never left Charle's home. He stood around all day and waited for Caron to come back with that map. She was just too busy trying to reorganize the winglies and find a new leader. At last, while Ben was leaning against the outside wall, he heard Caron's voice.

"Ben!" She called. He turned to see her coming down the steps to him. "I don't have much time. I was barely able to get out here, but a promise is a promise." She handed him the map.

"Thank you, Caron." Ben said. "This means a lot to me."

She nodded. "You're welcome. If you'll excuse me, I still have much to do."

"How is the search going for a new leader?"

Surprisingly, Caron seemed to blush a little. "A bit awkwardly. Many people...have nominated me."

"Well, you get my vote."

"I don't think I'm qualified for this kind of thing."

"Sure you are! When you found Charle dead, the first thing you did was try to fix the situation as quickly as possible. That sounds like a good leader."

"Well...we'll see. Good night, Ben."

Ben nodded as he walked off.

"Finally got that map, huh?"

Ben turned. "Sean. What are you doing out here?"

"Waiting for you. I thought you might get an urge to jump off one of those bridges or something."

"If anything happens to Christie, I just might."

"Nothing's going to happen, Ben. You're too determined."

"Thanks." The two continued walking until Ben stopped on a bridge. "This was the spot where we first told each other how we felt. I remember how I felt lowly and pathetic I felt compared to her, but she told me that she wouldn't want to be with any other man."

"The relationship you two have is unfathomable. I wouldn't believe it if I didn't know you two."

Ben chuckled and nodded. "I remember the day I proposed to her."

"So do I. You asked me to stay in the bushes in case you screwed up royally. You didn't screw up, but you did stutter through the whole thing."

"Leave me alone." Ben chuckled. "I can't count how many times she said yes."

"I got to about sixteen and then lost track." Sean had to laugh.

"I was unbelievably happy...even happier when we married, of course."

"I remember being the best man and I remember you stuttering through the whole thing."

Ben lightly hit him. "Shut up. I'm reminiscing here!"

"I know. I'm just messing with your head to get it off the situation."

"I figured as much." Ben chuckled. His smile soon turned into a frown. "What kind of sick tricks do you think Zackwell is playing on her right now?"

"I try not to think about it."

"I can't help it."

"I know. Losing someone you love to a twisted creep like that is hard to bare."

"Geez." Ben slammed pounded the edge of the bridge. "I thought you killed that guy!"

"So did I." Sean sighed. "How he came back is beyond me."

"Way beyond." Ben said. "If he can survive that blast you put up, what can't he survive?"

"I'm not sure, but we'll find out."

"At the same time, let's find out just why he took Christie. What does he have against her?"

"Maybe it's because of her element."

"But it never seemed to give him that much trouble before." Ben scratched his head. "Whatever it is, it can't be good. Zackwell is smart, I have to give him that. Of course, I'm pretty smart myself. I have an idea..."

* * *

The next morning, all seven dragoons were ready to roll. Marian and Jenn were staying behind. This was a job for dragoons only. They read over the map a hundred times, for they might need to go there several times more. The journey would take them about an hour or so flying, so they took off in the morning.

As they neared their destination, the memories of Mayfil rushed back to their minds: the dark skies, the corroding buildings, the souls floating around, and the eerie chill that cut through the skin.

"Let me take a wild guess at where we should go." Brittany offered. "The big, tall, scary tower, am I right?"

"You certainly are." Sean said. "C'mon!"

The big, tall, scary tower was Mayfil's pride and joy: the tower of souls. This enormous spire would suck in the souls of the world to pull them into a makeshift Hell. Why would Zackwell, a soul-threatening demon dwell in any other place?

The Dragoons swooped low and flew into the entrance to the tower. The path was straightforward and they quickly found themselves in a very large, open room, fashioned like a grand hall. This was the same room where the Dragoons had encountered Zackwell when he nearly escaped. Only Adam Young, the young Black Dragoon, had stopped it from happening. At the very end of this hall was the base of the soul-absorbing device. It was a large, semi-spherical object with a large hole in the top with eerie blue magical gales spiraling inwards, sucking in souls. The blue glow from this device was what gave the room most of its radiance, other than the blue-flamed torches.

In front of the machine, there was a fairly large black seat, with two crossing scythes engraved on the back, along with a skull at the top with Zackwell's horns.

"Looks like Zackwell made a throne for himself." Robert pointed out.

"Zackwell is getting way too ahead of himself." Sean groaned.

Despite the throne, Zackwell was nowhere to be found.

"He has to be around here somewhere." Ben said. "He doesn't build a throne for himself for nothing."

Just then, even though they were indoors, the wind picked up, cutting through them.

"You took longer than I expected." Zackwell said. "Is your wife's life not as important to you as I thought?"

"Show yourself!" Ben demanded.

"Alright, alright. Don't go crazy on me." Zackwell taunted. Black smoke billowed around the throne and two black wings appeared behind it. When they unfurled, Zackwell uncurled his limbs, sitting comfortably on his throne. "How may I assist you?"

"Where is she?"

"Right here." Zackwell snapped his fingers and a few more smoky gales whipped in the wind. With a puff of black smoke, Christie's body appeared.

"Christie!" Ben ran over to her. She descended into his arms, still unconscious.

"Do not worry." Zackwell said. "Both her body and soul are perfectly fine."

"But are they in the same place?"

Zackwell grinned. "You know me too well." He opened his hand nonchalantly. A soul flew up from within the soul cache in the machine and floated into the demon's palm. Zackwell's curled and flexed the long fingers of his free hand, motioning for Ben to come to him.

Ben carried Christie over to the rest of the Dragoons and put her in Sean's arms.

"Make sure she doesn't come back for me." He whispered.

Sean winked. Ben turned and walked back over to Zackwell, who kept his sinister smile until they stood only inches apart. Zackwell let out an evil chuckle.

"You hate me so much."

"Who doesn't?"

"You'd do just about anything for this soul, wouldn't you?"

"Depends."

"Depends on what?"

"If that's really her soul. For all I know, it's a trick."

Zackwell's smile didn't falter. "You're all the same. You take me as a fool and a coward. You underestimate me." Now his grin faded into a scowl. "And it will be you undoing!" Then he slammed the soul to Ben's forehead.

Ben found himself in a white abyss. He seemed to be floating. Christie, frightened, was floating right in front of him.

"Ben!" She cried.

"Christie!"

"Ben! Help me!"

"Hang on!" He reached out to her as she did to him. They got closer with every second, but then Zackwell appeared and grabbed Christie from behind and pulled her away.

"Christie!"

"Ben!"

Darkness emitted from Zackwell and surrounded Christie until she was no longer visible and her cries became faint.

"NO!" He bellowed. Zackwell let out an evil laugh as his eyes glowed blood red.

Everything suddenly snapped back into place as Zackwell pulled the soul away. Ben was breathing heavily and he felt lightheaded.

"As you can see, I'm not bluffing."

Ben didn't answer. Zackwell smiled.

"Look at you. Inches from your wife's soul. But any funny business and it will be shredded. You must loathe me." He opened his hand and the soul flew back into the cache.

"You have no idea." Ben sneered. "Now you have to deal with me. This is my fight. You and me, one on one."

Zackwell chuckled. "Bold...but stupid." Zackwell's scythe appeared in his hand and he swung down. Ben held his blade up to block, then down again and blocked low as Zackwell spun his blade around and struck from underneath. Zackwell swung it back around and pressed against Ben's blade. With a flash of the eye on Ben's chest, an explosion blew Zackwell back.

Zackwell flipped in the air and landed on his feet, but Ben was waiting for him. A great fireball had formed in front of him and Ben reeled his fist back.

"Flameshot!" He punched the fireball right at Zackwell. Zackwell switched his weapon hand and punched the fireball right back at him. Ben crossed his arms and took the hit, receiving little damage, but flipping backwards in the air, just as he wanted.

"Explosion!" Ben landed and slammed his blade into the ground. A fiery line burned over to Zackwell's feet and exploded around him. Thinking quickly, Zackwell created a black shield around himself. Frustrated, Ben's wings turned to fire as he gathered his strength.

"Final Burst!" He shot forward at top speed, but Zackwell jumped right over him and fired a black ball of energy which followed Ben and exploded on contact.

Ben pulled himself to his feet again.

_Nothing is working! _Ben said to himself. _But I have to create an efficient distraction...I might need some help here._

Ben stood tall and lifted his blade. "Red-Eye Dragon! Come!" His spirit shone with incredible red brilliance as a fiery hole appeared in the ground. A geyser of fire burst upward. The tongues of flame took form, wrapping together and forming flesh. The flames vanished and the Red-Eye Dragon appeared behind them, emitting a hot roar.

"Oh my." Zackwell rolled his eyes. "I'm afraid." He chuckled. "This thing isn't nearly as intimidating as the Rage Dragon, but it's all you have, isn't it?"

"C'mon, Red Eyes." Ben said. "Let's show this creep what we're made of."

The dragon opened its mouth and shot out a thousand quick fireballs. Zackwell twirled his scythe to deflect them all. Ben jumped over him and struck, but Zackwell was too quick. He spun and struck down Ben's blade and flipped over him, avoiding the fireballs.

Seeing his method of attack was failing, the dragon changed its plan. It inhaled deeply again and breathed out a stream of flame. Zackwell created a black shield around himself that protected him from fire.

Ben jumped high into the air and stabbed into the shield as he came down. The blade could not penetrate Zackwell's shield, but Ben had not quite expected it to.

"Explosion!" Ben shouted. The area around Ben's blade began to succumb under the might of Ben's power. Red cracks began forming in the shield until it finally burst and shattered.

Zackwell cried out as the flames scorched him. Ben jumped into the air and gathered a fireball at the tip of his sword. He threw it down to Zackwell and an explosion rang out. Zackwell flew from the fire and flailed to land on his feet. Zackwell's wounds healed as he glared at the dragon.

"Annoying." Zackwell sneered. "Let's even the odds."

He raked his sharp fingernails across his chest and lathered the blood on the skull top of his scythe. Zackwell tossed the weapon into the air. When it came back down, it was no longer a scythe, but the upper half of a giant skeleton, the simplest form of the Skull Demon.

It shrieked and lunged at the Red-Eye Dragon, knocking it over as they began their duel. Ben turned his eyes away from the scene just in time to see Zackwell lunge at him. Ben jumped back and flapped his wings frantically to continue flying backwards Zackwell continued to swing at him.

Zackwell had forced him back into a wall and continued pummeling Ben until he could no longer defend himself and just took the flurry. Zackwell finally jumped up and kicked off Ben's chest, backflipping in the air to land on his feet.

Ben leaned his hand on the wall to stand back up. He suddenly realized that it wasn't the wall; it was bone. Ben looked up to see the Skull Demon grinning over him. It inhaled deeply and exhaled its violet, poisonous fog all over the Dragoon.

"Idiot." Ben grinned. He released some fire from his body which mixed with the fumes. KABOOM! Both enemies flew in opposite directions. Zackwell could always heal himself, but the Skull Demon was blown to pieces and returned to its scythe form on the ground.

Unfortunately, Ben's taunting had caused him to inhale a bit of the toxin. He fell to a knee, trying to breathe right. Suddenly, he heard a buzzing sound. Ben looked up and saw Zackwell's scythe spinning in the air like a buzz saw. He jumped to the side to avoid it, but it came right back around and sliced his torso. The scythe landed in Zackwell's hand again as Ben fell back onto a knee.

"What is that stuff?" He wheezed.

"Dark toxin." Zackwell simply explained. "Even a small dose can render you helpless."

Ben decided to put his plan into action. "Why do you want Christie?" He demanded.

"Because she is of the element opposite to me."

"She never caused you any trouble before. Why now do you take her!"

"That's for me to know and you to find out. Just know that you cannot stop me. If you wish to join, there is still time for you."

Ben was dumbstruck. "Join you?"

"Correct." Zackwell nodded. "I have quite a few job openings for those who wish to become victorious. Great pay, reasonable hours, window room, you name it. Those who work for me get great bonuses, including the returning of stolen souls and guaranteed protection from future harm. There are many more, but I think you get my drift. Care to end the suffering of you and your loved one or are you going to flaunt your Dragoon pride and meet with an untimely and painful death?"

Ben caught Melissa's signal. His plan had worked. Ben pushed himself to his feet. "I choose pride."

Zackwell sighed and shook his head. "Sean has taught you well." He grabbed the blade of his scythe and stretched it out to a straight point. "Too well for your own good."

He jumped into the air, his weapon aimed downward, right at Ben. Ben gathered up his strength, trying out an ability he hadn't used since his duel with Adam. Zackwell fell from the sky, ready to impale the Dragoon.

At the very last second, Ben jumped back only a foot or so and reeled back his burning katana.

"Bomb Blade!" Ben swung his hardest, knocking Zackwell deep into centerfield. His wings like rockets, Ben shot past Zackwell and waited for him to land. A second before hitting the ground, Ben swung again, smacking Zackwell back in the other direction. Ben rocketed to the spot right below Zackwell and shot into the air, slashing through Zackwell and then hovered in the air. Ben turned himself so that he was vertical, aiming downward, his blade pointed straight in front of him as his body swarmed with fire. He spun madly as the fire swarmed him and finally shot straight down.

Zackwell landed on his feet and held his weapon straight up, creating a black shield just as Ben collided into him. Both powers pressed hard against one another, testing each other's might.

"Final Burst!" Ben roared. The flames increased as his eyes glowed a hot crimson. The pressure became too great and Zackwell's shield broke under the Dragoon's might. Ben's blade struck through Zackwell's body.

"Explosion!" The blast propelled Ben back into the air. "Now you know how Charle felt!" He snapped.

From the fire and smoke a black chain shot out, wrapping around Ben. He was yanked back down to the ground. Before he hit the ground, Zackwell punched him back up into the air with his free hand. Before Ben got to high into the air, Zackwell yanked him back down into a kick.

Zackwell spun the chain around his head several times, slamming Ben into every column there he could. Finally, he threw Ben into the wall and then jumped to him. Before Ben could fall back to the ground, Zackwell suspended himself in the air, kicking him rapidly in the gut. Finally, he landed on the ground and backflipped, kicking Ben into the air and then planted a two-footed kick into Ben's stomach, slamming him into the wall.

Ben fell to his face, unable to even pull himself to his knees. He clutched his ribs, unnerved by the throbbing pain.

Zackwell took the time to relax himself. "You're as idiotic as Sean, but you're not nearly the fighter he is. Your death is not particularly significant, but I will savor it anyway, just because you are Sean's friend and he will be crushed. So will your wife, by the way. Speaking of which..." His grin turned more devious. "I think she should see you die..."

He extended his hand to the soul-absorber. The machine hummed with life. Nothing more happened.

"What?" Zackwell lowered his hand and extended it again. Again, the machine hummed, but no soul came to his hand. "What is this?"

"Her soul isn't in there." Ben informed him. Zackwell's head whipped around to him. "Wanna know how I know?" He waved his hand to where the Dragoons had been standing. Now there was nobody. "Because they wouldn't have left without her."

"But they would leave without you?" Zackwell pried.

"I told them go. While you were distracted, Melissa used her own dark powers to activate that soul-stealing machine and summon Christie's soul. Then they took Christie's body and soul back to Ulara to put them back together."

"And what was _your_ plan of escape?" Zackwell had to ask.

Ben thought about it and shrugged. "Actually, I was just gonna play it by ear and figure it out on the way."

Zackwell could hardly believe his ears. "Are you suicidal?"

"I believe the term is...'kamikazal'."

"Kamikazal?" Zackwell scoffed. "That's not even a word."

"It is in my book."

"And you've just written your last chapter!" Zackwell shot a black wave that knocked Ben back into the wall and back onto his face. Zackwell walked up to him, twirling his scythe. He swung the scythe at Ben's neck, only to be deflected by Sean's blade.

Sean swung his fist back, bashing Zackwell in the face. Sean spun into a kick, knocking the demon back and then fired his cannon, blasting him away. Sean then turned and shattered a Healing Fog vial at Ben's feet. He breathed the fog in and felt his wounds heal and strength return.

"I was wondering when you'd show up!" Ben said, standing up.

"Ah, you know me. I have to make a grand entrance."

"How about a grant _exit?_" Zackwell fired a great black ray. Sean crossed his arms and took the hit. He didn't have to hold it long before Ben jumped up and launched another Flameshot attack. Zackwell had to jump away and halt his attack so Sean could get into the air.

"I should've guessed." Zackwell nodded. "You Dragoons talk of bravery, but none of you have the gall to go through with it."

"Go through with what?" Ben asked. "This was my plan: have Sean come and save my sorry butt at the last second!"

"Now touching." Zackwell smiled. "Now you can die together!" He fired a wave that they both evaded. Zackwell took to the air and awaited their attack.

Ben and Sean dove at him from different sides, but Zackwell teleported away and reappeared above them, firing a black ray down upon them. They shook off the hit and Ben rocketed upward, slicing at Zackwell. The monster blocked the attack and then Sean's attack. The deep red jewel in Zackwell's chest flashed and an explosion blew the Dragoons back.

"Sean!" Ben quickly shouted. "Fire your Divine Dragon Ball!"

Sean turned his left shoulder to Zackwell and the panel on it opened up, revealing several gun barrels. As Sean powered up, Ben created a firewall in front of the gun barrels. Sean grinned at Ben's idea.

"Divine Fireball!" Sean changed the name and unleashed his attack. Dozens of energy balls shot from Sean's shoulder cannons and rushed through the firewall, supercharging themselves, creating individual infernos.

Zackwell flapped his wings furiously, rushing backwards as the fireballs exploded around him. However, Ben saw this coming. He flew behind Zackwell and swung his Bomb Blade attack again, blasting Zackwell into the barrage. While he was caught in the unending attack, Sean and Ben rushed back and forth past each other, slashing through Zackwell over and over. Finally, they both jumped back and fired their own attacks. When they collided, Zackwell was torn apart by an enormous explosion.

By the time the flames died down and Zackwell had regenerated himself, Sean and Ben were already gone.

Zackwell was chillingly calm. "Alright. I can play their game." He chuckled evilly.

* * *

When the other Dragoons had returned, they instantly gave Christie's body and soul to the winglies, who were in more of a position to help them at this point. The process would take a while, but she would be just fine, they knew that from experience.

Everyone had gone back to human form for a while, resting for when Zackwell should show up again. Melissa was completely worn out. It took a great deal of dark magic to summon Christie's soul from the thousands in the bottomless pit. The only reason she had still been able to fly home was the fact that Christie's soul recognized a friend and moved to her from the chamber. Now, though, Melissa would need a good bit of rest before she could transform again, much less fight.

The Dragoons didn't see themselves doing much fighting anyway. Caron had a plan, should Zackwell show up again.

As usual, Brittany was in a high spot. Standing atop a wingly home, her binoculars scanned the horizon.

"Dragoon alert!" She called. "1 o'clock! Ben and Sean coming in fast."

The two Dragoons flew into the city and landed near the others.

"Christie?" Ben asked.

"Safe and sound." Robert informed him. "Jenn and Marian are watching over her."

"Melissa?" Sean asked.

"Requesting sleep." She informed, raising her hand.

"Zackwell?" Brad asked.

"Present." He said. The Dragoons looked up and saw him atop a nearby roof.

"Back for more?" Sean asked.

"Something like that." He looked at Ben. "Where's your wife? Having her soul returned to her? That's the problem with wingly methods: they take all day to return a soul."

"You think you can do it better?" Ben asked.

Zackwell grinned. "Better and faster. You'll see soon en-"

WHAM!

Zackwell was knocked off the roof and landed on his face. He rubbed the back of his head and looked up. Brittany twirled her mallet and slung it over her shoulders, gripping it with both hands.

"First Melissa eludes your sight, then me. You're blind as bat, Zackwell, and a whole lot uglier."

Zackwell scoffed. "You are nothing to me." His hand glowed red and he slammed it into the building. Red cracks began to rapidly expand across the surface.

"Uh-oh!" Brittany quickly transformed into her dragoon self and flapped her wings just in time to avoid his attack. The entire building exploded just as she left. Zackwell launched a few fireballs at her, and then took to the skies, chasing her with Ben and Sean hot on his tail.

Brad took matters into his own hands. His Dragoon Spirit fired off, filling his body with electrical powers. When his transformation was complete, Brad tried out a new attack. It would take a lot of strength to work on Zackwell, but it might work.

"Energy bind!" He shot his hands forward.

At that time, Zackwell had caught up with Brittany. He grabbed her throat and reeled back his scythe. Suddenly, a violet energy band appeared around his wrist. When Zackwell tried striking her, his wrist was stuck in place.

"What is this?" He demanded.

"Little trick of mine!" Brad proudly proclaimed.

Ben and Sean flew by the demon, each chopping off an arm. Brittany was released and flew away.

New arms grew on Zackwell's body and he cracked his knuckles. The Dragoons floated, waiting for him. Suddenly, a white beam shot through Zackwell's back.

"DAH!" He cried out and turned around as he healed himself. Caron floated in the air, a glowing hand extended at Zackwell. "We-hell. This is new." He grinned.

"Zackwell!" Caron said. "You have committed an unforgivable crime!"

"What else is new?" He shrugged.

"Because of what you've done, you must pay the penalty!" A symbol glowed on her head, emitting a signal. Wingly after wingly jumped into the air, filling the skies.

"The winglies are finally becoming active instead, eh?" Zackwell said. "Bring it on!"

"Feel our wrath, Zackwell." Caron sneered, her hands beginning to glow. "And be lost forever!"

"Lost forever?" Zackwell chuckled. "This I have to see."

Caron lifted her hands above her head as strong magic concentrated within them, filling her body with ultimate power. Light from the skies shot down and struck Caron's body, strengthening her further.

Zackwell's eyes narrowed. "I've seen this before..." His mind searched for where, but by the time he figured it out, it was too late.

Energy swelling around her body, Caron put her attack into action. Utilizing all the power within her, she thrust her hands forward. A great white beam shot from them, striking through Zackwell's body. He grunted as the attack crushed him, but little else. He was stuck in place, but virtually unharmed. However, Zackwell knew that the point of this attack was not to destroy him. He slowly turned his head to see the portal opening at the end of the beam. Within that portal was Zackwell's prison: the world of light, a nightmare for any demon.

"I bet you didn't think I knew such a spell, did you, Zackwell?" Caron asked him. "Anna was a good friend of mine before you destroyed her. We learned this spell together."

"Congratulations." Zackwell rolled his eyes. "In case you've forgotten already, I did escape that prison before and I can do it again."

She shook her head. "No one can set you free this time, Zackwell. Everyone! Now!"

The winglies in the skies all gathered their magic into their hands. When they were at full strength, they aimed their magic at Caron. She gathered it all into her own hands, her body beginning to strain under the might of it all.

Caron shot her hand out again and a ball of magic struck Zackwell dead in the chest. He cried out as a wingly symbol burned itself into his chest, shimmering brightly. Zackwell clutched his fist and bit his tongue, taking the pain.

"What is this?"

"An addition to this spell. Once you are in the world of light, that symbol will activate. Even if the portal is reopened for you, you cannot cross through it. You're stuck there, Zackwell...forever."

To everyone's surprise, he just smiled. He let out a low chuckle, which steadily grew louder. "All this trouble for nothing!"

Unable to bear his voice any longer, Caron crossed her arms over he chest. White magic gathered across them, waiting.

"This is it, Zackwell! Any last words?"

Zackwell's grin widened. "Yeah." He looked at Ben. "Kill your wife while you can."

Ben could hardly believe those words. "What did you say!"

"If you do not, she will destroy you. Just watch. In less than a year, on this date, when the clock strikes the evening hour of the beast..." He cackled as he said it. "She will unleash a terror greater than even myself! The world will crumble under the power of darkness and I shall see the demise of you and all who oppose me! Ha-ha-ha-haaa!"

"Enough of this!" Caron uncrossed her arms swiftly. The white magic traveled down the white trail in a wave. It struck Zackwell and forced him into the white portal. Even as he flew, he was cackling like a madman. The portal closed and Zackwell was gone.

Ben was shaken. "What did Zackwell mean by that?"

"I really don't know." Sean said. "Could be just talk. You know how pompous Zackwell gets."

"But he said that she would unleash a terror greater than he was. You're right, he's arrogant to know end, so why would he say something like that?"

"To unnerve us, probably. Look, Ben. Can Christie really unleash ANYTHING evil?"

Ben had to give him that one. "Yeah, you're probably right."

* * *

The rest of the day was filled with mixed emotions. There was mourning over the loss of the wingly leader, but there was also rejoicing for the defeat of Zackwell. More people like to be happy than sad. Also, the winglies smiled at the finding of a new leader: Caron. She finally accepted the offer.

"I don't think I'll ever be able to completely relive what Charle has done," She told a crowd a cheering winglies, "but I will do all in my power to keep this city and these people alive."

Soon, the evening meal came around and once again, the Dragoons were invited to dine with the leader of the winglies. Caron said it would take a while to get used to sitting at the head of the table, where Charle had always sat. By this time, Christie's soul had been properly restored due to the haste of the winglies. She was a little loopy, but she was fine. Now, she was listening to all that had gone by during her absence.

"...and then Caron forced Zackwell into the portal." Ben wrapped it all up.

"It was the coolest thing!" Jenn exclaimed, still overcome by the powers of winglies. "You guys were AWESOME!"

Everybody laughed. It was nice to have good feelings again.

"That was the shortest-lived real threat we've ever had." Brittany pointed out. "Bor-ing!"

"After what happened today, I'm glad it's already over." Ben said, wrapping his arm around Christie.

"Me too." Sean nodded. "Who knows what he would have done?"

"I can't believe I slept through the whole thing." Christie said.

"Hey, it's not like any of us really did anything other than Sean and Ben." Rob pointed out."

"True. But I still wanna know why Zackwell kidnapped me. Why not Melissa? She's closer to Sean than I am!"

Melissa crossed her arms. "I'd be too much for Zackwell to handle."

"You're saying I'm weak?"

"A toast!" Caron interrupted. "To the Dragoons who are getting so much better at what they do!"

"I'll drink to that!" Rob lifted his glass. They all tapped their glasses together and drank.

The Dragoons would stay the night in Ulara again and be returned to their homes while they slept. They had all been pretty riled up about Zackwell's return, but now it seemed that things were okay. The Dragoons continued on, happy as ever.

After all, ignorance is bliss.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Long chap...anyway, there's no way Zackwell's gonna go down that fast, you know that, but what did Zackwell mean by his last words? That answer will come quickly enough. Hope you enjoyed it-what did you guys think of this chap?


	4. Christie's Ailment

OPENING NOTES: To Whammbamm: Rosemary's baby? Never heard of it.

To Kermit the Great: Again with the lewd comments...

Chapter Four: Christie's Ailment

Christie was never told about what Zackwell said about her. Such a notion that she would unleash a monster would terrify her, so they all kept it silent. They didn't believe it anyway.

However, as the year passed, month after month, they began to wonder. Zackwell had said that something would happen on the date of his imprisoning, which was the 13th, go figure. Every month, the Dragoons would tense up on that day, but nothing would happen.

They kept up their daily routines, training as hard as they could to stay in top shape for the next threat, whatever it may be.

Sean and Melissa's little bundle of joy was growing fast. Eric was still too young to even consider his parents not telling him everything, of course. He was extremely obedient for a three-year-old and always spread a smile on his father's faces after a long, hard day of work. But the couple constantly feared for his life, not knowing what other dangers were a dormant, waiting for the right moment to strike. They kept their guards up, waiting for evil try and overtake them.

Ben and Christie were never closer, of course. Ben always kept his eye on her, slightly fearful off Zackwell's threat, but her charming personality allowed him to forget. After all, how could a monster come from the bearer of the White-Silver Dragoon spirit?

Brad and Brittany wondered if they were next for a short while, but it quickly escaped their minds. Their relationship had always been pretty stable, and not much bothered them. But now they were on their guard more than ever to make sure evil didn't make the first move this time.

Jenn wanted to go back to Ulara, but Mike kept having to say no, much to her dismay. She always wanted to see the Dragoons in action, fascinated by them. At one point, she told Mike that she wished a dragon had chosen her so that she could help him out. Mike told her that he admired her spirit, but he felt that she was safer as she was.

Robert also heard such a comment from his wife, but hers was a different story. She simply wished she was more powerful with her magic. She had been born naturally weaker than most winglies, but she was sick of it. Over the past couple years, she had been stretching her magic a bit and being in Ulara for a bit allowed her to undergo some extreme training. Even though it was for only a day, she felt like her limits had been stretched greatly and how she was trying to fill the gaps. Robert was supportive, but at the same time, he worried that she might wish to help fight at some point. He wasn't sure if he could take that.

It was a time of peace too short-lived.

* * *

_Nine months later..._

WHAM!

Christie's attempt at walking through the doorway failed...again. She found her aim off by a foot or so and slammed right into the glass wall right next to the door. Darn that coffeehouse construction!

"Ow..." She whispered.

"You pulled a Ben." Brittany smiled. "You okay?"

"I don't know how he does it all the time..." The girls laughed. Christie, Brittany, and Melissa were out and about, enjoying their girl time. Well...one wasn't so pleased.

Christie pulled out her chair and sat down _beside_ the chair.

"Missed again." Melissa sighed, helping her friend up. "Are you alright? You've been out of it the whole day."

"I know." Christie groaned. "I'm just so darn tired."

"Well," Brittany said, "We _are_ at the coffeehouse. All the caffeine you need is right here."

"It's not just that, Brit." She rubbed her face. "These past few days I've been feeling...different. Kinda...irritable...less conscious of others...I've tried to hide it, but Ben's noticed a change I know."

"Ah, you're probably just menstrual." Brittany offered, too loudly.

Christie's eye twitched. "Thanks, Brit! But you know, maybe you should say it louder! I don't think that guy in the back heard us!"

"I heard it!" He replied.

"Shut up!"

"Will do!"

"You see what I mean?" Christie pointed out. "Anyhow, no, that's not the reason. I dunno, maybe it's a virus or something."

"Think you should see a doctor or something?" Melissa asked.

"I don't know. I don't think it's that serious. And if it gets that bad, I'll just heal myself, you know?"

"True." Melissa nodded.

"So can we order now?" Brittany asked. "My caffeine level is dropping!"

"You two go ahead and order. I have to use the restroom first. Get me a double-shot of mocha, okay?" She walked off. The instant she was out of sight, Brittany grabbed Melissa's shirt and pulled her in.

"What's today's date?"

Melissa scanned her mind. "The twelfth?"

"Kind of an odd coincidence, don't you think?"

"Huh?"

"Zackwell said that on the date of his imprisoning, which was the 13th, Christie would unleash a monster. He also said it would happen in under a year and there are only two more thirteens after this one that add up. If she's acting like this right now, maybe tomorrow's the day!"

"Brittany, look. A prolonged daze? Irritability? Hardly the symptoms of monster release. Zackwell just wanted to scare us, remember?"

"Christie sure is scaring me now."

* * *

After a major caffeine rush, Christie was feeling much more energetic. Now, all three girls needed something to burn it off. For these three Dragoons, training seemed like a good idea.

They made their way to the clearing. It was the famous spot where their training had begun about fifteen years ago. It had practically become a second home to the Dragoons, seeing as they saw about as much of it as their own houses.

Even though the world knew about the Dragoons and their identities, outsiders had still not found the clearing. Only the Dragoons, Marian, Jenn, and Sean's father Hank knew about the hidden location. The Dragoons preferred it this way.

Melissa, Christie, and Brittany pushed their way though the thick underbrush, fighting against branches and thorns just like every other time they came. As soon as they emerged from the wooded madness, a tomahawk slammed into the tree next to Melissa. She looked at it, then at her brother.

"Sorry!" Mike apologized. "Didn't see you there."

"Nice shot." Jenn said, watching him.

Melissa grabbed the tomahawk and yanked on it, but it was imbedded deep. She tried several more times, but couldn't remove it. Mike walked over to her and tore the tomahawk from the tree with one hand.

"Showing off your strength?" His sister asked snidely.

"No, this is showing off." Mike grabbed the end of his axe, which was as tall as he was, swung it over his head and threw it away. The giant axe spun like the tomahawk and rammed into a tree.

"Ha!" Melissa laughed. "The tree is still standing."

Mike trotted over to his axe and yanked it out. When he did, most of the tree simply fell over.

"Show off." Melissa muttered.

"Impressive." Jenn retaliated.

Mike had to grin. "So what are you three doing here?"

"Coffee buzz." Brittany said. "Gotta burn the energy. Swinging around deadly objects sounded entertaining. Out doing the same thing?"

"Yeah, I got bored."

"Exerting your strength to impress the misses?" Melissa mocked him. Mike shrugged it off.

"If you got it, flaunt it." He kissed his wife.

"That's it." Melissa drew her blade. "Now I have to fight him."

Christie touched her shoulder and pulled her back. "Now, Melissa, it's not Mike's fault that he has the arms of a yeti." She laughed. "I'm sure Sean does the same thing just to impress..."

Her voice trailed off and then she fell to the ground, unconscious. Everybody looked at one another.

"Is she okay?" Jenn finally asked.

Melissa knelt down next to her. "She's been loopy all day, so this doesn't surprise me all that much." She shook Christie a bit, but she wouldn't wake up.

"I'm telling you guys." Brittany said. "It's the date."

Mike suddenly remembered what day it was. "You really think so?"

"No." Melissa sighed. "People pass out, that's all. How do we wake her is the question."

"I'll do it." Brittany's spirit shone, granting her aquatic powers. Brittany extended her hand to the lake. A bubble of water lifted into the air. Brittany moved her hand and the bubble rushed across the clearing and splashed Christie in the face. Still nothing.

"She sleeps like...Ben!" Brittany marveled.

"Now what?" Mike asked.

"I don't know. Christie's spirit is the one that wakes people up."

"Can't you activate it through another spirit?" Jenn asked, testing her knowledge.

"The girl knows a lot." Mike gave her.

"Too much." Brittany said. "She's making us look inferior!"

Mike rolled his eyes and held his Dragoons Spirit over Christie's his glowed golden and hers reacted with white light. Then, the day got even stranger.

Christie's Dragoon spirit was suddenly surrounded by a black force, which quickly traveled across the woman's body. Christie's eyes opened up. Normally blue, her eyes were now completely black, pupil, iris, and all.

"What the?" Mike exclaimed.

A black flash was the last thing he saw.

* * *

"One! C'mon, Sean, keep it up! Two!" Sean and Ben were lifting weights in Sean's basement. Sean was currently trying to beat his bench press record. Ben was spotting and coaching. "Alright! Whoa! Careful, man! Okay, three! You're doing good, Sean. Keep it going, keep it going. Ffffffour. Almost there, man! C'mon, Sean! Push!" A coy smile suddenly spread across his face. "Push, Sean! Push! I can almost see the head!"

Sean's tightly clenched lips erupted in laughter, causing him to drop the bar, which Ben quickly caught. Ben put the bar back on the rack and Sean sat up.

"You dropped it! You're done." Ben said.

Sean was still laughing. "You idiot! I almost had it!"

"I know. What? Did you think I was going to let you beat my record? No way! Put another five on each side and watch the master work." Ben lay down on the bench.

Sean was tempted to put larger weights on, but he knew better. He put on the requested weight and his cell phone rang.

"Hello?...What?...I can't hear you. Hang on." He moved about the room, trying to get better reception. "Can you hear me now? Good...Melissa! Hey, what's up?"

"Sean?" Ben said. Sean waved him off.

"She passed out?...okay...huh?"

"Sean!" Ben called again. Once more, Sean ignored him.

"Hang on. I didn't catch that part. Something about black eyes?...What! How!...today? Uh...hang on." He lowered his phone. "Hey, Be-WHOA!"

Ben was flailing his legs, trapped under the weight of the bench bar.

"SEAN!" He screamed. "I'M STUCK! I'M GONNA DIIIIIEEE!"

Sean ran to his friend and helped pull the weight off of him.

"What were you benching without a spotter for?"

"I was trying to show off, okay?"

Sean sighed. "Ben, do you know what the date is today?"

"Uh...twelfth, why?"

Sean seemed to ponder something. He got back on the phone. "It's the twelfth...yeah, it makes sense..."

"What does?" Ben was suspicious.

"Are you guys okay?" Sean continued with Melissa. "Yeah, he's right here...you'd better explain it to him." He handed the phone to Ben.

"Melissa?" Ben said. "What happened?"

* * *

The word got out pretty fast about the incident in the woods. Everyone was okay, but Christie was still out cold. The Dragoons rushed to the woods.

Brad was the last one to rush through to the clearing. "Okay, tell me again what happened?"

Melissa rolled her eyes, explaining for the millionth time. "Christie passed out and Mike tried to wake her, but her eyes got all black and a dark wave blew us all away."

"But we don't know how?"

"We have a theory." Brittany said. "Seeing as tomorrow would be the nine-month anniversary of Zackwell's defeat, there could be a connection with this and his threat."

"But there's no way of knowing for sure." Ben pointed out, unwilling to believe it. "Right now, I just want to know what to do about Christie."

"I saw we take her to Ulara." Sean said. "Whether Zackwell was telling the truth or not, something weird is happening. The winglies might know what to make of it."

Nobody disagreed. Jenn and Marian were to stay behind, this was Dragoon work. They transformed into their Dragoon selves and flew to Ulara.

* * *

"There it is." Sean pointed to the remains of a wall with an inactive teleportation pad. Only winglies could enter at any time, but the Dragoons could enter by shining their spirits. Lookout winglies could see the signal and deactivate the cloak. With a flash from Sean's Dragoon Spirit, the cloak vanished and the city appeared and the teleported hummed to life. The Dragoons stepped on it and were warped into the city.

Ben rushed his unconscious wife to the home that now belonged to Caron. They told her the whole story and she got right to work on figuring out the problem. She worked on Christie personally as an apology to Ben for her lack of haste last time.

No matter how diligently she worked, Caron could get absolutely nowhere. Caron needed to scan Christie's body to find out just what the issue was, but every time she tried, a dark shield would surround her body that Caron could not bypass, nor could she destroy. Christie was isolated behind the black barrier that no one could describe.

As usual, the Dragoons stuck around until the situation was fixed. They all hoped that they would find out what was going on before the thirteenth rolled around, but with that dark shield, Caron could do nothing.

The next morning, Caron made her way into the room in which Christie was sleeping. She also saw Ben, face in his arms, leaning against her bed, holding one of her hands. She smiled and woke him up.

"Mm. Wha? Caron! Any progress!" Then he saw his wife's still-sleeping body and sighed in disappointment.

"Ben, go to your room and rest. You look exhausted."

"I could hardly sleep until just now. I kept thinking about her."

"You care for her very much."

"Of course! I married her for a reason! But something else was really on my mind."

"What's that?"

Ben was hesitant. "Do you…do you think that…Do you think that Zackwell had something to do with this?"

"I'm not sure. It is the date of his defeat, but he said she'd unleash a monster. I don't see that happening, do you?"

"No. It can't happen. If anything did, I'd-"

"You'd help her through it." Caron interrupted. "Don't blame yourself for things you can't see coming."

Ben looked back at his wife's face for a moment, then back at her.

"Could you try once more? Please?"

"Of course." She stood on Christie's side and Ben stepped back, in case she fired another black blast. One never knew. Caron held her hands over Christie's body. She was going to try to scan her again to find the source of the problem. But as soon as her hands glowed, Christie's body was surrounded in a black shield.

Ben sighed. "I don't get it! Why isn't the White-Silver Dragoon Spirit stopping this?"

"Perhaps it is too powerful."

"We gotta wake her up! Holding a Dragoon Spirit up to her almost worked, but then she emitted a black blast. Wait a minute." Ben said, getting an idea. "If we can stop that, maybe…WHERE'S MELISSA?"

* * *

Melissa wasn't very happy about being dragged out of bed, but came anyway, Sean following.

"It's perfect!" Ben explained as they ran. "Any black energy emitted will be stopped by your Dragoon spirit!"

"Sounds like a plan. But what it she emits white energy?"

"I think the White-Silver Dragon is still awake. She'll take care of that." Once they arrived, Ben anxiously began telling her to try it out.

"Okay! Okay! Chill out! Yeesh!" She stood over Christie and held her Dragoon spirit next to her own. Both began glowing. But before long, Christie's began trying to shoot out black energy, but it was all absorbed, just as Ben said.

"It's working!" Melissa said.

"See?" Ben said. "Told you!"

"Dark Dragon, how are you holding up?" Melissa asked. The dragon replied in her mind.

_It's going very well. I'm helping someone out and getting a lovely energy boost._

"Good to hear it."

_Wait a second._ The Dragon suddenly said. _Something is amiss..._

"The dragon says something's up." Melissa reported. "What is it?"

The darkness around Christie's body began to ripple, not a good sign.

The Dragon suddenly broke out in panic. _MELISSA! PULL BACK NOW!_

"What!" Melissa began. She didn't have the time to finish. A dark ray fired at Melissa and surrounded her with dark energy. Surprisingly enough, Melissa was transformed into a Dragoon.

"The darkness activated her Dragoon spirit." Caron observed.

"I don't think that's all!" Sean said.

Melissa's head turned to them, her eyes pure black. She extended her hand and blasted them all out of the room.

* * *

Brad sat up in his bed. Brittany was already out and about. She was an energetic sort, even in the morning, and often got bored of waiting for her spouse to awaken. Brad got out of bed and changed. He was about to go out the door when Sean came crashing through the wall and rolled across the ground until he hit the opposite wall.

Brad's eyes were wide open now. "Where did you come from?"

Sean pulled himself up. "Melissa's gone haywire!"

"Huh?"

They suddenly heard another blast and the sounds of screams from outside. Brad and Sean ran to the balcony and looked outside. Melissa was hovering about, firing dark blasts everywhere. Stranger still, Christie was mysteriously floating behind her.

"What is going on around here!" Sean demanded to no one in particular.

"I'm not sure." Brad shook his head. "You wake the others. I'll fend her off."

"Why you?"

"Because I don't think you want to fight your wife."

Sean gave him that one. "Good point." He took off.

Brad jumped from the balcony, his Dragoon Spirit shining. Electrical currents flowed throughout him, gathering and concentrating into armor. The armor spread from his Dragoons spirit across his chest and around his back. His wings finally sprouted and Brad flapped them, catching his fall. The power continued along his body, creating armored gloves, boots, and the signature headband. Melissa saw him and Brad struck a pose, electricity swarming around his fists.

"Let's go. You and me. We'll see if darkness triumphs over thunder."

Melissa gave a dark grin and lunged at him.

"Thunder Kid!" Brad commanded, extending his hand. A dozen small electrical orbs flew from his hand and surrounded Melissa. Each one shot out an electric bolt, but she deflected them all. Melissa flew at him again. Brad was thankful that they had spent most of their time fighting each other, so they were all familiar with one another's fighting styles. Brad slid slightly to the side to avoid Melissa's stab and then backflipped in the air, catching her jaw. He flipped fully and kicked her away while she was still stunned.

Melissa regained herself and attacked.

"Astral Drain!" She threw her sword at Brad. As soon as he heard the attack's name, Brad gathered as much power into his hands as he could. As soon as the rapier was close enough, he fired a great electrical bolt at it. The blade hovered in the air for a moment, then dropped to the ground. It floated back into Melissa's hand afterwards.

"Thunder God!" Brad shouted. He flew high into the air, swarming with electricity and dropped, crashing through the ground, leaving behind an electrical current. He flew back up through the ground on Melissa's other side, then crashed through again, making a perfect triangle. Finally, she shot straight up through her, striking her with all the power he could. She looked up at him, unaffected.

_Nothing fazes her!_ Brad said to himself. Melissa wasn't this powerful on her own, he knew this. Something was up. He looked closer. Why was Christie hovering in the air behind her? Suddenly, it struck him.

Brad flew right at Melissa. Just as she was about to strike, he flipped over her head and landed behind her, but right in front of the demonized Christie.

"Sorry, Chris." He said. He extended his hands and an electrical current flew from both hands, wrapping itself around her. Christie cringed and twitched, crying out in pain, for she was completely unprotected by any armor. Brad turned his head and found Melissa suffering in the same way. They were connected as such, it seemed.

Christie's body began swarming with dark magic, protecting her better. Brad cranked up his powers, shooting her full of more electricity.

This was the point when Ben was finally ready to join back in the fight.

"Christie! Brad! What are you doing!"

"Trust me!" He hollered back. As long as Christie was unable to make a move, Melissa would be dormant as well. Christie was controlling Melissa and something was controlling Christie. Hopefully, this would kill it.

Through the outcries, Christie made her move. Her eyes began glowing, seeming to gather power. Then there was a bright flash so powerful that it knocked her head back like a whiplash. There was no ray, no beam, no blast, nothing except for that flash. A chunk of the armor on the left of Brad's chest exploded.

"AARRRGHHH!" He bellowed. He clutched the exposed flesh. Then he saw Melissa getting up. He quickly got back to shocking Christie, but she was already powering up again. Another flash. This time, a piece of the armor around his waist was blasted off. He winced again, but kept shocking. Christie wouldn't give in and neither would he. She kept shooting, flash after flash and he kept shocking, bolt after bolt.

"Give it up!" Christie hissed in a voice that was not hers.

"Let her go!" Brad commanded. He lifted his hand up high. Dark clouds gathered and swarmed with violet electricity. "Atomic Mind!" Brad swung his hand down and a monstrous bolt struck Christie right on the head. She cried out and the darkness surrounding her suddenly dissipated and Christie fell to the ground, dazed. Brad just fell in exhaustion. Sean and Ben ran to their wives while Brittany ran to Brad.

"Don't worry, Ben." He panted. "I didn't juice it up enough to kill her, just wake her up."

Christie sat up straight and looked around, totally confused. "How did I get here?"

Ben sighed. "Christie, we have a lot of explaining to do."

* * *

With the darkness lying dormant, Caron was finally able to scan Christie. The Dragoons all had to wait outside for the results. Finally able to get some answers, Ben paced back and forth anxiously.

Suddenly, Caron walked through the door, an odd look on her face.

"Come in, all of you."

They all walked into the room and found Christie curled up on her bed in a ball of terror.

"Christie!" Ben exclaimed, rushing to her. "What is it?"

"Well..." Caron rubbed her head, seeming just as troubled.

"What! Is she okay?"

"Well...yes. She should be fine, theoretically."

"Theoretically?" Ben repeated.

"Well, this has never happened before, so it's hard to say what will happen."

"Caron," Sean said. "What's going on?"

She hesitated. "It's hard to say."

"It'll be a lot harder to say with no teeth in your mouth!" Ben threatened. "Now what's going on!"

Caron gathered up her wits and told him plainly. "Christie is nine months pregnant with Zackwell's child."


	5. The Worst Case Scenario

OPENING NOTES: You guys were really surprised, huh? That's good to know. Anyway, I was so pleased by the rush of reviews, that I updated early. Thank you all and please keep it up. Enjoy!

Chapter Five: The Worst-Case Scenario

Seven jaws hit the ground as fourteen eyes jumped from their sockets. No sound was made. Inconceivable. Christie? Pregnant? With Zackwell's child!

"Run that by me again." Ben finally spoke.

"I know it's incredible. I didn't believe it myself at first, but I scanned a thousand times and found the same results. All the traits match up to those of Zackwell."

"Hold on!" Robert cut in. "Back up! How the heck could this have possibly happened?"

"I believe this was the reason for Zackwell kidnapping Christie." Caron guessed.

"To...impregnate her?" Robert fought for the proper word.

"But...why?" Ben asked.

Caron shook her head. "I haven't the slightest idea."

"Devastation among Dragoons?" Mike offered.

Melissa spoke up. "You said she was nine-months pregnant?"

"Yes."

"That arouses a LOT of questions. Basically, how did we not notice it?"

"Zackwell is a master of stealth. He probably kept it cloaked, even from us until it made itself known today."

"Being able to sense it is one thing, but if there's anything I know about pregnancy it's that it starts to show, especially nine months afterwards!"

Caron could only shrug. "Zackwell works in mysterious ways."

"But...but..." Ben was racking his mind for any reason why this could not be true, but in reality, Caron would not create such a lie. "Why her? A million women on this planet for an heir, why did he choose her!"

"Yeah." Brad said. "She's of the light element and he's of the dark element. That's not exactly a reasonable combination."

"Well," Caron thought. "I have a theory. If the elements combined properly, the result could be a very powerful and devastating creature."

"What do you mean?" Sean asked her.

"Well, look at the benefits of each element. Light can heal and darkness can harm. Imagine the two combined."

"I'd rather not!" Ben snapped.

"I mean, this creature could harm others, and heal itself. A very interesting combination. But that's not it. This creature won't just have the powers of darkness and light. It will have the traits of both parents. Christie is a calm, peaceful soul who only fights if she needs to. Zackwell, on the other hand, is willing to wipe out anyone anywhere."

"Talk about multiple-personality disorder!" Sean said.

"Yes. I fear, though, it may also take on the powers of both parents. Christie can heal and help and annihilate evil, but this is no ordinary evil. It is Zackwell, so I believe it will endure the powers of light. He will be able to kill, steal souls, cause mass mayhem, and torture anyone. Even so, the calmness of the light may be able to tame the wild spirit. It will also be able to regenerate itself, I believe. Imagine it. It will have no weaknesses and can recover from any attack. It will be an unstoppable beast."

"You're just full of good news, aren't you?" Sean muttered.

"That is the absolute worst-case scenario." Caron told him. "There is an alternative. The two sides may not be able to cooperate and will fight each other until their vessel is destroyed. If not, it will depend on which side has more control, light or darkness."

"I think I already know which has more power." Brad said, rubbing his wounds from the earlier battle.

"Is there any way of reversing this?" Ben asked.

"I'm afraid not." Caron shook her head.

"Then we have to stop it when it comes." Sean said.

"After hearing Caron talk about it, that seems a lot less likely." Brittany scoffed.

"Well, if you attack it just as it appears, it may not have any knowledge of its abilities and be easily extinguished." Caron proposed.

"Kill it quick." Sean nodded. "I like the sound of that."

"But we don't know when it will come out." Robert said.

"Yeah we do." Mike said. "Evening hour of the beast, remember? 666 is the mark of the beast so the hour of the beast would be 6:06 P.M. and 6 seconds."

Brad looked at his watch. "It's a quarter-after-one now. We still have a lot of time to prepare."

"I think that's the best idea." Sean said."C'mon. We'll go train."

"I'm going to stay here." Ben said.

Sean wasn't about to protest. They left to practice and Caron followed, giving the two remnants their peace.

The silence was long and devastating. Christie was still in her same position, curled up in huddled ball of fright.

There were no words Ben could possibly say that would make the situation better. It was too unreal to believe, much less improve. Christie was devastated and Ben wasn't far behind. He felt unfathomably helpless, watching from the sidelines. He knew that she did nothing to deserve this. She was the purest soul he knew and now she was part of a diabolical plan. Billions of women and this curse had fallen upon her. Christie, _his_ Christie had been violated.

"Christie." He beckoned into her shattered world. "I know...nothing I say can make things better, but...I'm still here, okay?" He rolled his eyes at how weak he sounded. He reached out and touched her hand, but she wouldn't move, not even under his touch.

"C'mon, Christie. Say something. You're starting to scare me."

"_You're_ scared!" Christie suddenly erupted. "YOU'RE scared!" She leaned forward and grabbed his shirt collar. "YOU'RE not the one about to give birth to a demon!"

"Christie." Ben took her hands in his, prying them off his shirt. "It wasn't your fault. It wasn't anyone's doing but Zackwell's." He moved in close to her face. "Don't think for a second that you're responsible in any way, because you aren't."

Her lip quivered. "I'm still scared."

Ben enveloped his wife and this time, she returned the gesture, gripping him for dear life. "Hey, you heard Caron." he said. "Maybe we can beat this thing real quick, you know?"

"Maybe..."

"Try to look at the bright...never mind. If I finish that, you'll probably hurt me."

She snickered, despite the truth in that statement. Ben had planned that.

"Better?" He asked.

She stroked his arm. "A little."

"Little at a time will work." He admitted.

Christie could afford a smile. Even in something like this, Ben always made her feel comfortable. She snuggled against his chest and closed her eyes, resting her weary soul.

* * *

_6:00 P.M._

There was very little time left. The winglies had been warned about the impending danger, so they were all standing by, ready for battle. According to Caron, the child of Zackwell would not be born like a human child. It would remove itself from Christie's body spiritually, leaving no mark, but probably leaving her exhausted. The other Dragoons had been training all day and stocked up on wingly items just in case.

The city was on edge. The streets were lined with nervous winglies awaiting the monster's birth. The Dragoons hoped to stop it before it left the room. Remarkably enough, even the atmosphere knew that the birth was coming. The skies were dark with clouds, but did not threaten rain. The scene was indeed grim.

Each passing second felt like a minute and each passing minute felt like an hour. Brad kept a close eye on his watch, announcing the fearful fleeing of every minute. Sweat dripped off the faces of every Dragoon. They hadn't been this nervous since Zackwell's army attacked their home town.

"Two minutes." Brad reported. The Dragoons brandished their weapons. The guys were standing a few feet from Christie and the bed she sat on. Melissa and Brittany were on either side of her, comforting her in any way they could, but Christie was still trembling in her shoes.

"A minute and six." Brad continued a bit later.

"AAAHHH!" Christie suddenly wailed, clutching her stomach.

"Christie!" More than one person said.

"It's...coming!"

"Dragoons! Now!" Sean commanded. They all transformed into their more powerful forms, except for Christie, who feared the worst. Before he transformed, Brad gave his watch to Charle, so she could keep track of time. Christie kept crying out in pain. Ben wanted nothing more than to help or comfort her, but he had to stay put. Sean gave one last check.

"Ben? You ready?"

"This thing has caused my wife enough pain. It must die!"

"Robert? You ready?"

"Zackwell's master plan is about to go down the drain."

"Brad? You?"

"I've felt its power. It has to be stopped before it gets out of hand."

"Mike?"

"I'm with Brad. Let's do this!"

"Melissa, how about you?"

"You attack one of us, you attack us all. I'm ready."

"Brittany?"

"I've been sitting still for too long. I gotta smash something!"

Sean chuckled and waited.

"Ten seconds!" Caron said. Sean got into a fighting stance.

"Nine…"

Ben readied his blade.

"Eight…"

Brad drew back his fist, swarming with electricity.

"Seven…"

Mike raised his axe.

"Six o'clock!"

Christie continued wailing as darkness emitted from her Dragoon spirit and quickly surrounded her.

"Five…"

Melissa stepped back and got herself ready.

"Four…"

Brittany stepped back and tightened the grip on her hammer.

"Three…"

Caron gathered up a magical blast.

"Two…"

Robert began twirling his lance.

"One…"

Christie shrieked.

"SHOWTIME!"

A black energy ball shot from Christie's body and flew right past the Dragoons. They turned to face it, but it kept flying all around the room, bouncing off the walls at extreme speed. At last, Brad got a piece of it, knocking it to the ground. Everyone rushed at the black heap, stabbing and slashing, and smashing the creature, but nothing affected it. The creature shot across to the other side of the room and landed on its feet. The creature had a humanoid shape, but no true form at all. The Dragoons waited for it to move.

Suddenly, they heard a high-pitched, squeaky laugh emit from the black fog surrounding the creature. It lifted its hand and turned away from the Dragoons. As it swung its hand down, the air seemed to be sliced open. The slit shone with great brilliance.

"What's it doing?" Sean asked. Then came the answer he didn't want.

Two black hands slid through the slit and each grabbed a side, pushing it open further. They soon saw the creature to whom the hands belonged, though they already knew him.

"Zackwell!" Sean hissed.

Zackwell, grinning as usual, pushed himself outward, but as soon as his torso reached the opening, the wingly symbol burned into his chest glowed, singing him from the inside until he pulled back.

"I told you, Zackwell." Caron said. "You cannot come through there."

Zackwell chuckled and turned to his newborn child. "Release me."

The child put its hand on its father's chest, atop the symbol.

"It won't work." Caron informed the Dragoons. "The dark side is in control and only white magic can undo that symbol."

But the child's hand suddenly shone with white light and the symbol resonated with it. With another white flash, the symbol vanished from Zackwell's chest and he jumped back into the world. The white dimension closed behind him.

"So." He said. "Was I right or was I right?"

"But...how is this possible?" Caron asked.

"What?" Zackwell asked. "Isn't it obvious? True, the dark side is dominant, but he can still use the powers of light. Look at it...the perfect combination of supreme light power and unstoppable darkness. But...there is still something missing. This is only a fragment of each power, not even enough to take on physical form...but with a little boost..." He looked at Christie.

"Forget it!" She snapped. "I'm not going to help you any further!"

Zackwell raised a brow. "Who said I wanted your opinion?" Zackwell shot through the Dragoons, blasting them into the walls. He grabbed Christie's arms and jumped into the air and hovered there with his black magic as their son floated above them.

He took Christie's hand in his and aimed them both at the child. Zackwell's magic flowed from this body and through hers, combining both their powers in their hands and fired a mixed ray at the child.

"What's he doing?" Brittany asked.

"He's drawing more power from Christie and combining with his own!" Caron said.

Within seconds, the attack halted and Christie hung limply in the air as the child floated down to the ground.

"You've outlived your usefulness." Zackwell said to Christie. "Goodbye." He threw her across the room and looked back at his creation.

As the newborn child stood, he did not look like a newborn at all. He had the body of a human that was obviously male and looked about the age of a teenager, perhaps 16. His body was impressive enough with visible muscles along it. He wore a vest with no shirt under it. The vest was white with black flames coming up from the bottom. Other than that, he had pants of the same design and black boots. Two feather wings had sprouted from his back. One was pure white while the other was midnight black. His hair hung down to his ears and a little over his face. On the right side, his hair was as black as his right wing, but on the left side, it was suddenly white. To complete the cross-breed, his left eye was normal and blue, while his right eye was a glowing red iris with no visible pupil. Clearly, this child was a living conflict between light and darkness, from left to right.

The child's face was blank and lifeless. He didn't speak. He simply looked himself over, familiarizing himself with his new form, seeming to approve.

"He looks human enough." Zackwell said. "But he has powers beyond your worst nightmares. But enough talk. Demonstrations are so much more understandable. Son!"

The boy stood solid.

"Prepare yourself!"

He extended his hand and a spear appeared in it with a large, curved blade. He twirled it and got into a stance.

"Show them your might."

The child jumped forward, spinning horizontally. When he landed, he slammed his spear into the ground, creating a shockwave that blew the Dragoons back. Robert jumped clear over it and struck with his own spear. The child evaded and stabbed at him, but Rob moved his head. Sean jumped over Robert and landed on the other side of the child and stabbed, but the child vanished in a puff of smoke and reappeared a couple feet off the ground and shot his feet out, kicking them both in the face. A thunderbolt struck the child down, but he blocked the next one, as well as the icy shards the flew at him. The earth erupted blow him, knocking him into the air, so Robert could blast him away with a gale and Ben could shoot him with a fireball.

The cross-breed fell onto his back and flipped back to his feet. The Dragoons were about to rush at him, but a black wave sent them flying into a wall.

"I didn't say he'd be fighting alone." Zackwell clarified, stepping next to his creation, scythe in hand. "After all, where would the fun be for me?"

"I think you've had quite enough fun!" Sean jumped at him, but his blade was blocked. He kept striking and Ben joined in a second later. Zackwell spun his blade all around, deflecting every single strike thrown at him. Ben shot a fireball, but Zackwell deflected it and fired a black ray, blowing him back. He fired the same attack at Sean, but he took the hit unflinching. Sean fired his own blast and Zackwell avoided it, watching the attack blow through the wall. Zackwell spun back, swinging hard against Sean, but he held strong against the blade.

Robert struck out first against the child again, seeing as they had the same weapon. The child struck first, but Rob was able to block it in such a way that he twirled his own blade and the spear flew out of his opponent's hands. Just as Robert grabbed it and swung it. The child ducked and Robert swung back. This time, the child leaned backwards, then sprung forward and swung his fists down, smashing Rob's hand, causing him to drop the blade. From his forward position, the child jumped up, grabbed his weapon, and kicked off Robert's chest, backflipping to a perfect landing. He fired a black wave and Robert flew back. Brittany flailed over him, smashing his head with her mallet. Melissa seceded her, stabbing the child in the heart. It looked at her blade, then knocked them both back with an energy wave.

Ben shot a fireball at Zackwell. He held out his hand to stop it, but Ben caused it to explode just before he did. Zackwell was caught in the flast and Sean rushed through him. Zackwell instantly healed his wound and shot a black ray at Sean, who blocked it with his cannon arm. Ben rushed up behind him, but Zackwell blocked his blade with his scythe, not even turning his head. Sean finally jumped over the blast and kicked Zackwell in the head, then swung, bashing him with his cannon arm. Zackwell collided with his son and Sean fired.

"Divine Dragon Cannon!" He shot his great beam at them, blasting them right through the wall and outside into the city. The Dragoons followed them.

The instant the demons were outside, the winglies opened fire. Magical blasts scorched across the sky, searing through the dark foes. That was when the child demonstrated his true power.

He put up a barrier to protect himself and his father first, then his red eye began to gather power. With a red flash, the child's head snapped back, as if forced back by an unseen power. Like Christie's earlier attack, there was no flash, no beam, and no warning. With that flash, an invisible force erupted, creating a sizeable explosion amongst the winglies, killing several of them. His eye flashed again and the same results were given.

Melissa shot into the sky, stabbing her sword into the dark shield. She pressed hard against it, utilizing her own black magic to shatter the shield. Sean jumped up to them, firing a cannon blast through the head of the child.

Zackwell tackled Sean in mid-air, knocking him to the ground and then threw a large black energy ball at him. Ben stood over him and gathered his powers into his fists.

"Dark Flameshot!" Ben swung both fists up, knocking the energy ball back to Zackwell, who held up his arm to take the hit with a grunt.

"Wipe them out!" Zackwell commanded. The child gathered even more strength into his glowing eye and emitted two flashes, each blasting back four Dragoons. "You failed this time." Zackwell said. "If you want to try again, you know where to find me us!" With a puff of dark smoke, they were both gone. Eerie silence followed.

The Dragoons looked around at the winglies. Many were dead and many were injured. They'd failed to contain the darkness and now it was loose upon the world, with a very powerful ally. The Dragoons knew that they were in serious trouble.

* * *

After having something shoot out of her body and then being drained of her energy, Christie had been too weary to fight. After hearing all the screams, she was glad she didn't have to see it happen. Ben flew back into the destroyed room and walked over to Christie, who laid on her back on the bed.

"How bad is it?" She asked him.

"Basically," Ben said. "It's a second Zackwell."

Christie groaned. "As if one wasn't bad enough."

"Yeah." Ben sighed. "He killed quite a few people just by looking at them."

"And he got away, didn't he?"

"Yep. Off to Mayfil, of course."

"And we have to go after it, don't we?"

"We'll wait until you're rested up." Ben assured her.

"Did you see any of me in that thing?"

Ben cocked his head. "Well, no, he takes after his father mostly." he chuckled. "He has your eye though."

"Eye?" Christie asked.

"Wait until you see this kid."

Christie rubbed her eyes. "I don't want to be reminded of what just happened."

"Hey, you didn't have anything to do with it, remember?"

"I helped create it. There's something of me in him, I know that for a biological fact."

"Yeah, but...it's small!"

Christie wasn't comforted. "How do you know?"

"Trust me. I did NOT see any goodness coming from that thing."

"That's because the dark side has control over the light side...Zackwell is stronger than I am."

"Oh, come on now,"

"It's true and you know it! He took me and made a child from me! He had total control and I was unable to stop him. And earlier today, you saw what I did! I couldn't stop him from using me either time!"

"Whoa, wait a minute! You were unconscious! How could you do anything?"

Christie sat up. "I remember a few things from this morning. I remember seeing that creature's face, mocking me in my isolation. Even my dragon couldn't help me. There were only bits and pieces of this. I kept fading out."

"Why didn't you say anything earlier?"

Christie looked at the ground. "I didn't want you to think I was weak or anything."

"What? That's ridiculous!"

"But-"

"No buts about it! I don't think you're weak."

"Then how did he overtake me so easily?"

"Well…uh…man I hate saying this. Zackwell is…strong. But that doesn't make you weak. In fact, the way I see it, if he was able to take over you that easily, he's a lot stronger than we ever thought."

"Thanks, that's really comforting." She said sarcastically.

"Well…I…oh, man, I'm not good at this. Let's make it simple. I don't think you're weak. You got that Dragoon spirit for a reason, a reason I saw long before. You're one of the toughest girls I know. You just can't see it because all your strength is on the inside. You have a pure heart that can't be tarnished. You have a soul so strong, you don't know the meaning of the phrase 'give up'. You're a fighter, I know it. That's one of the many, many reasons I married you. No matter what happens, you keep going. And when you keep going, you take everyone with you. You never leave a man behind to die. You're always putting others first. That's probably why you feel this way. You're so used to helping others, you're not used to problems of your own, because they come very rarely. But you can't quit now. Zackwell wants you to give up. The minute you quit is the minute he takes over. You can't quit now, not when people need you. I didn't save your life so you could give up. We need your help, Chris. You're a Dragoon. You're meant to fight. Does that comfort you?"

Christie just stared. "I should get depressed more often. You get wordy and it's really good!"

"Feel better?"

She cracked a smile. "A little."

"Just a little? That won't do! C'mon, stand up." She did and he put his arms around her. "There, is that better?"

She had a full smile now. "Yes. Much."

"Well, how about this? What does this do for you?" He moved in to kiss her. In the middle, she broke away.

"It does wonders." She said. Then got back to kissing him.

* * *

"It is stronger than I thought." Caron said. She and the Dragoons had gathered in the lounge. "I thought that if the dark side was dominant, it would only be able to use dark powers. However, it also controls the light side, using those powers to its advantage as well. What a horrid combination."

"Beautiful." Sean sighed, staring out a window. The sun was setting, but it was not beautiful as on most nights. Nothing could be beautiful this night. "I can't believe this. How did Zackwell come up with this?"

"Zackwell is intelligent." Caron granted. "It seems we underestimated him."

"If I say that, it'll give him more satisfaction than he deserves." Sean sneered.

"Maybe we can beat the kid the same way we beat Zackwell." Brad offerered. "I mean maybe you can become the Rage Dragoon again and blast the bejesus out of them again."

"I don't know." Sean admitted. "First off, I have to be angry beyond angry to work it, and secondly, you all have to be incapacitated. But the nasty third truth is that it didn't kill him last time, so why would it this time?"

"That's the other thing." Caron noted. "You can't just kill him like you thought you did. He's immortal! Even if you did find a way to deliver death to him, his son could revive him! And vice-versa!"

"Yeesh, you could be a little more positive."

"Well, I'm right, aren't I?"

"If you are, we'll have to knock them both out at once. Or kill the kid and send Zackwell back."

"Sean, I know you want to be optimistic, but you have to also be realistic. This is no easy battle. Zackwell has played his trump card very well and I don't see any way of stopping it."

Sean glared at her. "Neither did I. 18 years ago, Melbu Frahma unleashed an incredible attack. It seemed hopeless, but I figured out something. When I fought Zackwell, I had no idea what to do until the last second. You don't always have a working plan right from the start. We always find a way of beating the enemy, though. Some things just come to you on the battlefield, where you see everything they can do and try to use it against them, or find a weakness you couldn't see before. It's not hopeless. We just don't know everything."

No one had an argument.

"So is there a plan?" Robert asked.

"Same as usual." Sean said. "Attack until the enemy falls. Everybody rest up. We're leaving at dawn."

* * *

When Sean said dawn, he really meant it. Everybody was groggy, but they knew they had a job to do. They didn't know how to beat Zackwell or his son, but Sean was right. Their best plans came on the battlefield. They met at the teleporter, but would not use it because the winglies were tending to their own wounds again. Besides, the flight would wake them better.

"Everyone ready?" Sean asked. They all nodded. "Then-"

"Wait!" Caron called, flying over to them. Her normal beauty had shifted. Her hair was a mess and her eyes had bags under them.

"You okay?" Melissa asked her.

"I was just up all night, but I found it! It's a very old spell, hardly used, but it may work!"

"What is it?" Sean asked.

"As you know, Zackwell is a soul stealer. Taking just one soul puts the entire team at risk, so I found a way to prevent it."

"No way!"

"Yes! Everybody stand still." She took a few steps back and chanted off the spell in the book in her own wingly tongue. The book began to glow and suddenly eight white lights shot out into the sky, curved in the air and slammed into the eight Dragoons, knocking them over with the force.

"Ow." Robert said, pulling himself up.

"Sorry about that." Caron said. "Old spells are potent, you know. By the way, there is one catch."

"I think we should've known that before you zapped us." Melissa said.

"It's not a bad thing, really. The spell only works if you're alive. Once you are dead, he has access to your soul."

"Fortunately," Ben said, "death doesn't come so easily for us."

"Well," Sean said, "if that's all, we should get going."

"Yes, go on." Caron said. "And good luck!"

"Luck has nothing to do with it, but thanks anyway!" The Dragoons took to the skies, heading for the city of the dead and the undead.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: So a monster has been born with tremendous power, but the Dragoons don't know just how powerful this child is, and what other surprises does Zackwell have in store? You'll find out in the next chapter. Please review!


	6. Beyond the Worst Case Scenario

Chapter Six: Beyond the Worst-Case Scenario

_Death City, Mayfil..._

Sub-Hell once again. Mayfil was the one place they never wanted to see again, yet it was the one place they couldn't seem to stay away from. The souls were swarming more rapidly than last time, acknowledging its new superpower. One Zackwell was bad enough, but two? Still, if they weren't stopped, the world was doomed.

The Dragoons knew where to find him: the soul tower. It was still the only reconstructed landmark. The Dragoons swooped low and flew into the entrance, down the corridors, and into the large hall, Zackwell's throne room. This time, he was sitting on the throne. They landed several feet in front of him.

"Welcome to my humble abode." Zackwell greeted. "It's not much, but give me a couple weeks and I'll have a castle up and running."

"Cut the crud, Zackwell." Sean said. "Where's the kid?"

Zackwell pointed. "Right behind you."

Sean turned and was instantly blown away by the child's blast. Sean quickly recovered and fired his own blast. The child jumped over it and his blade clash against Sean's.

"Stay back!" He told his comrades. "Let me test him first." He grinned. The child fumed and released an explosion from his hand, blasting them both back. Sean opened his shoulder panel and fired his Divine Dragon Ball attack, unleashing a barrage of blasts. The child held up his arm, creating a shield to protect himself and lunged at Sean. The Divine Dragoon bent backwards, watching the child fly right over him and fired a shot from his cannon, catching him off guard. They both jumped back up and Sean powered up his cannon. Seeing this in action, the child began to power up his own attack as his eye began to glow.

Then, Sean fired his attack prematurely. Startled, the child unleashed his own attack, but it went off a little too close to him and Sean fired again, catching him this time. Before the child could even recover, Sean rushed forward and stabbed it in the stomach and then fired a blast at its head. The child recovered, but Sean was very confident.

"It seems your master plan is flawed, Zackwell." Sean said.

Offended, the child started to rush at him, but Zackwell's voice perked up.

"Wait!" The child stopped. Zackwell stared at Sean. "What did you say?"

"I said it seems your master plan is flawed."

Zackwell then did what he always did to make people second-guess themselves: chuckle. Simple and low. "You insult my intelligence. You really think that this is my master plan?" He laughed a little louder. "Of course you do. Your puny human mind cannot fathom the next step. True, my son was the most important part, but he is only phase one! You want to see the rest? I suppose this is as good a time as any."

The Dragoons gathered around their leader, unsure what was going to happen.

Zackwell spread his arms out wide. "I am a creature of great power. I own this city and all of its functions under my power over death. Many souls fly through this land, and I've gathered quite a collection. Back in the day, I enjoyed feasting upon their deepest, darkest fears and exploiting them. The same goes for the living. I strive on the fears of others, utilizing them to undo them. Now, I have my chance to undo you all with your fears.

"Tell me. What are Dragoons the most afraid of? You don't have to hide it, I already know. The question is do_ you_ know what you fear?"

The Dragoons were utterly confused. Zackwell stood.

"I'll tell you what the Dragoons fear: disclosure. You all thought I was dead and your nightmares returned, especially you, Sean. How I loved the expression on your face upon my return, full of fear and disbelief. Now, it's time to put that expression on all of your faces. Time to rekindle old fears and create new ones. Behold my master plan...a kaleidoscope of nightmares!"

He lifted his hands and the stream of souls behind him burst into a column of red flame.

"First, a very old nightmare most of you have forgotten." He extended his hand and a soul came from the chamber and landed in his palm. "He nearly took the life of your leader and you allowed him to slip your minds...unacceptable in his eyes. He's been burning to remind you of why he was so feared and notorious in his time and recreate what he had. You barely defeated him, but allied with my son and I, he cannot be stopped!" Zackwell threw the soul into the ground and fire shot up from his its spot. Zackwell held his hand over the flames. "Rise again...Melbu Frahma!"

With horror and disbelief in the Dragoons' eyes, a figure rose from the flames. Every feature of his wingly form reminded the Dragoons of their battle with him. Sean and Ben remembered their two-on-one assault in which Sean's belly had been cut, but healed just in time, and how Ben first discovered the usefulness of combining powers. This discovery was great, but so was the risk, and they all remembered the fright of near-defeat.

Melbu fully rose from the ground and looked up, his eyes shimmering an eerie green. He looked himself over and grinned, then looked at the Dragoons and instantly, his grin vanished.

"Time for payback!" He took a step forward, but Zackwell caught his shoulder with the curve of his blade. "Not yet, my friend. There are still other members of the team."

Zackwell extended his hand and another soul floated into it.

"Next, a fresher memory. You remember, don't you Sean? You remember seeing your friends fall to the ground, eyes vacant and lifeless, even your precious Melissa could not be saved. A simple human he once was, but through me, he became much more. You stuck your blade through him and left him to die, but death is my friend, you know. He failed me then, but not this time." He threw the soul into the ground. "Come back to us...Darteth!"

Fire erupted from the soul's spot in the ground and Darteth slowly rose from it. When he had fully risen, he opened his eyes and looked at his body.

"So it's true...I have been revitalized." He looked up at Sean. "You're going to regret ever obtaining that Dragoon spirit."

"Now can I kill him!" Melbu requested.

"Not just yet." Zackwell said. "There is still one more."

"Let me guess." Sean said. "Adam Young."

"HA!" Zackwell spat. "That brat! No, no, no. Too weak of a soul to be of any real use to me. No, Sean, now that I have phase one complete, I can turn my attention back to you. You didn't think I'd let you off the hook, did you?"

Zackwell opened his hand and one more soul flew into it.

"My final contestant. I wanted to strike at your very core, Sean, and this was the best option."

Sean raised a brow. "What are you talking about?"

"Of course you have no clue as to what I'm saying. As earlier stated, your puny mind cannot fathom my ultimate plan." He cackled. "When this is over, I won't have to kill you. You'll kill yourself to escape your sorrow!" With that, he threw the soul into the ground and poured his malice into it.

"Rise, my instrument of discord!"

A figure arose from the flames, clad in black clothing. It was a female, though the Dragoons didn't recognize her. Her hair was silver, a wingly most likely. She looked up at them and opened her eyes, which burned red.

"Who is that?" Mike asked.

"She looks familiar." Melissa mused. "Sean? Do you...Sean?"

He could not move, paralyzed in disbelief. His sword trembled in his hands.

"Sean? What is it?" Melissa asked.

"No." He shook his head. "No way!" Tears were beginning to well up in his eyes. "That's impossible!"

"Not for me it isn't." Zackwell said, walking up to the woman and placing a hand on her shoulder. "Face the facts, boy. Anna...is mine."

All eyes turned to Sean. Anna, the wingly woman who found Sean and gave him his Dragoon spirit. His step-mother who trained him as a fighter until she was untimely taken by Zackwell.

"That's Anna?" Ben asked.

"NO!" Sean snapped. "It can't be her! You were sent to the realm of light before she died! You couldn't have taken her soul!"

"True, I was occupied at the time, but she provided me with a second chance. Remember, Sean? Remember how she came to inspire you? My spirit was sent back to Hell, but the city flows with evil. Anna broke the rules when she showed herself to you! By allowing herself to return to earth, she lost the protection of her eternal realm. Thus, the evil of the city struck; the city itself came alive and took her soul, burying it deep under the ground, away from viewing eyes. From that prison, the city filled her with the darkest of evils. She fought valiantly, yes, but over time, she grew weary until at long last, she crumbled like a dry leaf under an elephant's foot. Her mind, body, and soul now belong to me."

Sean still could not believe it. "It can't be..."

"Face it, boy! No one can stand up to my power! Not even the iron will of your dearly beloved step mother."

Sean shook his head. "NNOOOOOO!" He charged at Zackwell, full of fury, his comrades right behind him.

"Attack!" Zackwell commanded, unleashing his own party.

* * *

The Dragoons of light, wind, water, fire, earth, thunder, darkness, and divinity going up against the darkest, most vile creatures to walk the earth.

The battle lasted for hours and blood was spilled on both sides. It was a hideous battle for control and the fate of the world. The Dragoons were forced to split up and take the opponents down piece by piece, so they subconsciously each took their own foes.

Robert was all alone in fighting Darteth, but he had great confidence in his improved strength. It took forever just to get one hit in between them both. Darteth swung his blade this way and that, but Robert blocked very single strike, maneuvering his spear in every direction and finally got a few swipes in himself.

Darteth could remove a person's soul from the tiniest of flesh wounds, but it was difficult for a Dragoons. The only parts of Robert's body that were not covered in armor were his upper arms and legs and his head except for the jeweled headband. Robert's long weapon made it difficult to hit those spots. However, Darteth was a great blocker as well, being one of the faster enemies. Robert used both sides of his spear, spinning and slashing away, pushing Darteth back several steps.

Finally, he ducked under a swipe and cut Rob's upper leg and jumped back.

"You're mine!" He extended his hand. Robert just crossed his arms and smiled. His soul would not come out. "What is this?" Darteth demanded.

"That cheap trick won't work this time." Robert assured him. "Caron made sure of it!" He blew Darteth away with a wind blast. "Now check this out: Razor Glade!"

He twirled his weapon and Darteth found himself caught in a bubble of wind, unable to move. Robert swung his blade upward and a green slice moved upward in the bubble. Robert swung it to the left and the same thing happened in the same direction. With each movement of his spear, a green gale cut through Darteth in the same direction he moved. Robert's speed rapidly increased as he spun his blade in random directions, cutting up Darteth terribly. At last, he thrust his spear tip forward.

"BREAK!" Darteth shattered into dozens of bloody pieces as the wind bubble collapsed around him.

"One down, four to go." Robert said. Suddenly, Zackwell flew over to the scene, grabbed Darteth's soul, and threw it into the ground, raising him back up to life and flew away.

"You wanna try that again!" Darteth hissed.

Robert nodded. "Why not?"

Brad and Brittany somehow chose to gang up on Anna. They felt it awkward with it being Sean's mentor and stepmother. Still, she was the enemy now. They had to fight just to stay alive.

Both of them were particularly fast, so they were able to keep up with the agile wingly, who fought with a sword. Brittany blocked a double attack with her mallet and pushed her away.

"Freezing Ring!" A gust shot from Brittany's body and trapped Anna in an ice block. With a snap of Brittany's fingers, the ice shattered, cutting through her. Before she could recover, Brad struck her down with his Atomic Mind attack. She glared up at him.

"I expected you to be better than this." Brad said.

She just grinned and shook her head. With an extension of her hand, a magical cord shot from it, wrapping around Brad. Anna gripped it and swung him around wildly, smashing him into everything she could, including Brittany. In the midst of it all, Brad got an idea. He grabbed part of the cord with his hand and unleashed his electric fury. The current traveled down the cord and struck into Anna. The bolt caused her to drop the cord, but the bolt jumped from it and wrapped itself around Anna.

Brittany aided the situation. Her Dragoons spirit shone brightly and dark clouds formed from nothing and poured down rain upon the wingly, increasing the electrical effects. Victory seemed close, but Anna suddenly shot her arms out and all magical effects around her were negated. She fired a few magical blasts at the Dragoons, but they were all avoided. Brad and Brittany took to the air again, ready for more.

Melbu Frahma had a bone to pick with Ben, so they got into a brawl, but Mike soon came along to aid him. Their mix of magical and physical strength was enough to keep Melbu on his toes. He did not access the full power of his Virage Embryo form and just stayed as a fighting wingly. However, he was still a very powerful creature. Melbu fired round after round of magical energy, making it difficult for the Dragoons to advance.

"That's it!" Ben's wings turned to pure fire. "Final Burst!" He shot right at Melbu, who jumped out of the way and avoided pain. Ben spun himself around and rushed again, his blade clashing with that of Melbu's. Suddenly, the ground exploded and Mike flew up from it, knocking Melbu into the air.

Ben shot a fireball at him, but Melbu deflected it and landed on his feet. From one hand, he shot a watery stream and from the other, a concentrated wind blast, striking at the weakness of both Dragoons. Mike got back to his feet and flew up into the air, summoning a great rock from space.

"Meteor Strike!" Mike bellowed, bashing his fist into the rock. It shattered upon impact and the large pieces fell to the ground. Melbu scoffed at the weak attack and put his hands up to block it.

"Melbu!" Ben said. He turned just in time to meet the bad end of Ben's Bomb Blade attack. Melbu flew across the land and Ben shot to his other side, smacking him right back into the heart of Mike's attack.

Melbu Frahma pulled himself back onto his feet and recovered with his magic. "It's going to take a lot more than that to stop me!"

"I was afraid he'd say that." Mike sighed.

Christie and Melissa took on Zackwell's son, seeing as the two of them could each counter an element of his. Of course, that meant he could also counter their elements, so it was not an easy task bringing him down.

Christie fired her umpteenth arrow and he deflected it as always. She thought she had the edge because he wasn't looking at her, but he simply put his spear behind his back and blocked, then swung it back down to strike at Melissa again. She moved away and planted a quick stab in his left lung, then pulled out and jumped over him, stabbing him in the back.

The child jumped away and healed himself once again. No arrow could pin him and no sword mark would stay in place.

"Let's see if we can draw out some of that ultimate power." Melissa grinned. She jumped into the air and hurled her blade. "Astral Drain!" The blade struck him dead in the chest and Melissa began drawing out his power.

The child looked at the attack and grinned. Energy began shooting out of the hilt, back at Melissa, but it was the wrong kind! He was using her attack to shoot a beam of _white_ magic! Fortunately, Christie was quick enough to get in the way and absorb the attack. From there, Melissa whispered a plan to her.

"That thing only absorbs one element at a time. What do you suppose will happen if we strike him with both?"

"Probably warp his mind." Christie mused. "Let's try it!"

They separated and the spirits in their chests swarmed with power. They both fired a beam from the spirits and they combined just before hitting their target. Alarmed, the child put up his arms to catch the attack, but since he couldn't decide which element to absorb, he wasn't absorbing anything and took the damage.

Seeing that their plan was working, the girls kept up their attack, pouring everything they had into their blasts. Suddenly, the unfathomable happened. The child lifted up his hands and two large, skeletal hands erupted from the ground.

"HEL-lo!" Melissa exclaimed. Using his demonic powers, the child influenced the large arms to each grab a Dragoon and crush them together, then drop them and the arms vanished back underground.

As Christie pulled herself back onto her knees, she muttered to herself. "I really hate demons." She healed herself and Melissa and got back into the game.

Everyone knew that Sean would take care of Zackwell himself, so no one dared get in his way. Never had they seen such fury in his eyes. Killing Anna was painful enough on Sean, but he would have far preferred her to be dead than a puppet of darkness. This existence was a horrendous mockery of her once-majestic self. Sean couldn't stand for her to be lowered so.

Sean slashed left and right and Zackwell blocked every attack, laughing it up.

"I'll kill you!" Sean roared. "I'll kill you!"

"You will try." Zackwell chuckled. "And you will fail."

"I'll kill you." Sean repeated. "For everything you've done! You attacked my friends, my family, and now what you've done to Anna!"

"I thought that was an especially nice touch. Seeing her in such a state was guaranteed to pinch a deep nerve."

"That's why you did it! Just to anger me!"

"Payback! Because of you, I was sent to the light realm, burning in agony for eighteen years!" He fired a great blast at Sean, knocking him over. "And if that wasn't bad enough! Thanks to you, I was labeled a failure and an embarrassment among my own kind! For that, your emotions will be tested and you will be tried before you die an agonizing, mournful death! That is, of course, after you've watched your friends perish first!"

"SHUT UP!" Sean fired a tremendous shot from his cannon, but Zackwell blocked it, snickering.

"Let me show you _real_ power!" Zackwell scraped his nails across his chest and lathered the blood on his scythe. Then, his hand filled it with black power and the eyes of the skull began to glow. Zackwell threw the blade upwards and it transformed in the air. When it landed, it was not the simple Skull Demon. This time, the creature was a full skeleton.

"A demonstration of my might." Zackwell said. "The evolved form of the Skull Demon. The last one was becoming too easy to destroy. You'll find this one much nastier." He commanded the Skull Demon, "Kill him."

The demon screeched and stood to its full length, bringing down its foot to crush Sean. He moved away, but was subject to a mighty kick. The demon leapt over him and smacked him back the other way. During this, Sean's mind was so overcome with hatred, he didn't even think of summoning backup.

_Sean. Let me help you._ The Divine Dragon said to him.

"NO!" He snapped. "This is my fight! Zackwell is MINE!"

_Fair enough. Then let me handle the Skull Demon. You cannot handle both of them all by yourself!_

"Wanna bet?" He fired his cannon at the demon and it stumbled back. "I'm going to show Zackwell that I can stop anything he throws at me."

_But you cannot!_

The Skull Demon jumped over Sean's next attack and slammed its fist down upon him. Sean moved away, but couldn't avoid the smack. The Skull Demon's eyes lit up and it fired a great red ray, blasting Sean further back.

_You need assistance!_ The Dragon said. _Allow me to help you!_

"SHUT UP!" Sean blasted. "I can handle this!"

Suddenly, a shockwave of pain shot throughout Sean's body, bringing him to a knee.

_Come to your senses! You cannot defeat Zackwell alone! No one can! Your stubbornness will get you nowhere but to the grave!_

Sean dodged another attack and listened to the dragon's proposal.

_If you allow me to distract the Skull Demon, Zackwell will be left wide open for you._

Finally listening to reason, Sean nodded. "Alright. Divine Dragon! Come forth!"

With a roar and a flash of lights, the Divine Realm opened up and the dragon pulled its long body through. It began powering up its cannon as Sean rushed at Zackwell.

Just in that moment, the Skull Demon was drained of its energy and returned to its scythe form. The weapon flew back into Zackwell's hands and glowed a ghastly blue.

"Soul Strike!" Zackwell declared, rushing forward. His blade sliced right through Sean's body, leaving no mark, but Sean felt like he had been torn apart from the inside out and fell to his face.

Zackwell continued his flight pattern and stabbed the Divine Dragon in its massive main eye. The dragon deteriorated.

"That was too easy." Zackwell said.

* * *

That was only the beginning. Countless hours flew by as both parties fought to the very ends of themselves. The Dragoons fought and fought and fought, determined to succeed. They threw every attack, every spell, everything of anything they could use to destroy the enemy, giving it their all. No matter how many blows the Dragoons received, they would not stop fighting.

Sadly, it was not enough. No matter how hard the Dragoons would fight, it was all in vain. Every time the Dragoons would finally kill their opponent, rare as it was, Zackwell would always revive them, as well as himself. He had chosen a select group of warriors that could stand up to the assaults of the Dragoons and they could not stand strong being split up as they were. Time flew and the Dragoons became weary. Their cord of determination was eaten away by the bug of hopelessness until it was merely a thread that they were all trying to hang onto. That is, except for Sean, whose cord was coated with the impenetrable armor of hate.

Finally, the battle came to an end.

Robert rushed at Darteth once more, but he moved away and kicked Robert in the ribs, then jumped up and planted a two-footed kick on Robert's chest, knocking him away.

Brad fired another lightning bolt, frying his mind some more, but it was only rerouted by Anna to strike Brittany. Anny re-created her magic cord and grabbed Brad with it and knocked him into Brittany. They both flew back and crashed into Robert.

After blocking another attack, Melbu grabbed Ben and Mike and threw them to join the others.

Christie and Melissa tried a dual charge, but the child emitted a shockwave that blew them back to their comrades.

Sean fired one more shot from his Divine Cannon, but Zackwell jumped over it and kicked Sean in the head, then fired a wave that shot him back to where his friends lay.

The Dragoons struggled to stand, but they knew it was all over. They bodies were beaten and worn from the endless struggle and their minds were weary from constant spells. Their dragons had long since been slain. Only Sean had the strength to stand to his feet. He was also the only willing one. Everyone else was ready to retreat before they were killed.

"Many years of victories and now look at you." Zackwell gloated.

"It's not over!" Sean said defiantly. "We will not fall to you!"

"I'm afraid you will, Sean." Zackwell said. "Melbu, revive his nightmare."

Melbu Frahma seemed only too delighted. A wingly symbol shone on his forehead as great power was gathered into his body. When he was ready, he thrust his hands forward and a white outline surrounded the Dragoons, paralyzing them.

_NO!_ Sean said to himself.

"Yes!" Zackwell said, perfectly reading his expression. "You remember this? You promised yourself that you would never allow such a fate to befall your friends again." His blade shimmered blue again. "Now...see your promise amount to NOTHING!"

Utilizing the same Soul Strike move, Zackwell tore through each and every Dragoon at uncharted speed, basking in their outcries of pain. Finally, he struck it into Sean's body and held it there.

"Painful?" He asked. "I call it Soul Strike, because that's exactly what it does. The attack is not lethal, but it can make you beg for death!" He sliced through Sean again and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Zackwell!" Sean wheezed. "This isn't over!"

The demon just grinned. "I couldn't agree more." With a black flash, the Dragoons faded into darkness.

* * *

"Mike...c'mon, wake up. Wake up!" At last, his eyes fluttered open, but all was dark. "Hey, you okay?" He recognized his sister's voice.

"I'm alive?" Mike asked.

"Yeah...it kinda surprised us all." Melissa admitted.

"I...I can't see." Mike said.

"That's because it's dark out. We're back in the clearing and it's past midnight. We've been out for a while."

Mike slowly pulled himself up. Everything hurt to move. His eyesight adjusted to the moonlight and he could faintly see the Dragoons waking each other up. He couldn't see them so well, but Mike knew that they couldn't look much better than he did. Everyone was in dire pain, surprised to be alive, much less back home.

"Why are we back here?" Mike asked.

"Because Zackwell wants to mock us." Sean said in his leaderly tone. He'd hardly said a word since he woke up. "By allowing us to live, he's toying with us...toying with me." He cursed. "Zackwell...everything he does is just to anger me. He thinks he can toy with me...he's WRONG!" He bellowed out the last word. "I am going to make him pay...one way or another, I swear it!"

He stormed off.

"Sean!" Melissa called to him.

"Not now!" He snapped. Unable to acquiesce, Melissa rushed in front of Sean and stood there, almost defiantly. "What!" He demanded.

"Don't do this, Sean."

"Don't do WHAT?"

"I see where this is headed. It's going the same way it always went. You're angry and you have every reason to be, but no matter what Zackwell or anybody else does, no matter how furious you may get, no matter _what_ happens, don't you DARE shut me out again. Don't cast me or any of us aside just because you're angry. Don't think you can go about doing your own thing like you've always seemed to think. You remember what happened last time you let your solitude engulf you. I came back to you because I thought it would never happen again. Don't prove me wrong."

Sean would not speak, nor would anybody else. Melissa put her hands on Sean's arms. "Don't shut us out...don't shut me out, Sean."

He took a deep, staccatoed breath and looked down from her gaze. "Okay."

Melissa was relieved, but couldn't bring herself to smile. She simply wrapped her husband in her arms and waited for him to return the gesture. He did so, gripping her so tight it hurt. Melissa didn't complain, though. His pain must be far worse.

No one could find the words to say. Never before had they lost a battle so vital. If the Dragoons couldn't defeat Zackwell and his new team, who could?

Finally, Mike's cell phone rang. He looked at the name and sighed. After answering, he simply said. "I'll be home in a few, I'll explain it all then." He hung up. "Jenn...she's going to love this."

"Marian's probably worried too." Robert said. "I'd better go."

"Yeah." Sean sighed, his shoulders heavy with defeat. "We'd all better just go home."

Everyone was thinking the same thing: What now? No one dared ask it though. Sean had enough problems.

The McManns and the Freemans lived near each other, so the two couples were walking together when Sean suddenly thought of something.

"I'd better call Dad and warn him about Zackwell."

"I wouldn't mention Anna though." Ben said.

"Wasn't gonna." Sean dialed the number on his cell and waited. After four rings, the answering machine picked up. Sean froze in place and the other Dragoons stopped and turned to him.

"What?" Melissa asked. He waved her off and pressed the phone to his ear. The voice on the machine was not that of his father.

"Hello." It said. "You've reached the house of Hank McMann, but I'm afraid he can't talk right now. Leave a message if you please, but I don't think he'll be getting back to you any time soon. Hank isn't in a lively mood, you see." The voice chuckled. "And if this is you, Sean, tell me...did you really think I would let your old man live after what you did to me!"

Sean dropped his phone and bolted, taking to the skies as quickly as possible.

* * *

When the other Dragoons finally caught up with him, Sean was on his knees in his father's living room, fists in the ground. Hank, now an old man, sat in his favorite chair, his torso blown out, just like Charle.

"Oh God." Christie gasped. Ben froze in terror. Melissa rush to Sean's side, but he couldn't move. His arms trembled under the strain and he would not show is face.

Ben held his breath and walked over to Hank's body. He peered at his eyes and turned to Sean. "Same as Charle. His soul wasn't stolen."

That wasn't comforting enough. Sean slammed his fist into the ground and stormed to the door.

"Sean!" Melissa called.

He held his hand up. "I just have to blow off a _lot_ of steam and I don't want you around suffering the debris." He exited and flew off.

Melissa sighed and shook her head. "This is terrible."

"I can't imagine what he's going through." Christie said. "No one can, really."

Melissa knew she was right. "I wish there was something we could do to help him." She knew there was nothing, though. "I'm going to call the police."

Ben's mind was deep in thought. He finally walked out the door. "I'll be back later, Chris."

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"To talk to Sean." He transformed into his weakened Dragoon form and leapt into the air.

* * *

Sean's mind was clouded by anger and hatred. Only one thing could quench it. He flew hard and fast in the darkness. He was over the woods when Ben suddenly flew right in front of him. Sean pulled up and squared off with him.

"What do you want?" He asked.

"I want you to turn back." Ben said.

"I told you I'm going to blow off some steam."

"By going to Mayfil and killing everything you see?"

Sean bit his tongue. He was caught.

"Turn back, Sean." Ben said. "You can't do this."

"I can and I will." Sean said in a dark tone.

"No," Ben said. "You won't." He put his blade to Sean's throat. "You're going to turn back, right now."

There were so many words that Sean stopped himself from saying. All he could conjure up was, "Don't be a fool, Ben."

"What you're doing is wrong, Sean. You're going to turn back nevertheless."

Sean's anger would not allow this. "You think you can stop me?" He smacked Ben's blade away and Ben swung his fist. Sean knocked it away and flew a bit higher. With one punch, he unleashed his rage. That punch shot Ben right out of the sky. He rocketed down to the ground, breaking through several trees along the way.

_SEAN!_ The Divine Dragon snapped.

"He has is armor. He'll be fine." Sean defended himself and flew on.

Down on the ground, Ben knew very well that he wasn't fine at all. He didn't know if it was the punch that broke his ribs and punctured his lungs, the fall through the trees that broke his back, or the hole in his head from the rock he hit that stopped his slide. Ben didn't know what would cause it, but his fading vision told him he would never know.

As Ben's consciousness slid from his grasp, he muttered one question into the air.

"Sean...wh-why?"

With agonizing cry of his mourning dragon Ben's eyelids slid shut as he passed away into nothingness.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Lots of bad things have taken place here. How can the Dragoons ever recover from it all?


	7. The Bonus Round

OPENING NOTES: To all: your concerns about Ben will be answered in this chapter and the next.

To New Zealand 5: The name changed cuz I realized too late that Zackwell's name has a k, not an h. Otherwise, it's a typo. The story will lighten up soon enough, and the Divine Dragon has a few plans of his own...

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Chapter Seven: The Bonus Round

Mike could barely pull himself into his car, he ached so bad. He wiped off all the dried and crusty blood and did his best to fix his appearance, but several bruises were unable to be hidden. However, since he was in his Dragoon form during the fight, his body was beaten while his clothes were not.

"I can't wait to tell her the lovely news." Mike sighed.

The drive home never felt longer. His mind was racing too fast to catch up. What would happen next? How could they stop Zackwell and his team? Would Jenn be safe? Would anybody be safe?

When he finally did get home, Mike saw a few lights on. She was up, of course, and would want a full report. Mike pulled himself from his car, nearly toppling on his wounded legs. He hobbled up to the door and hesitated.

"Dear God...please don't let her freak out."

Mike opened the door and walked in.

"Arf! Arf!"

"Down, Buddy!" Mike snapped at his golden labrador. The dog just kept his goofy grin, blissfully unaware of his master's distress. Jenn was sitting at the table, a coffee cup in her hands when he came in.

"Hello." He said.

Jenn's jaw had long since dropped. "What happened to you?"

Mike rubbed the dog's head. "Do you want the bad news, the worse news, or the terrible news?"

"Bad, I guess."

"Okay. Zackwell is back."

"He is! How? I thought the winglies sealed him off."

"That's the worse news. Zackwell has a son now."

Jenn just stared. "A what?"

"Come with me." Mike walked into the living room and sat down on the couch. Jenn sat next to him. "Okay, Zackwell impregnated Christie, nine months later, being yesterday, she gave birth to a half-human, half-demon child who was supercharged with the powers of darkness and light, making him an unstoppable monster of deadly proportions."

Jenn blinked twice before asking him to run that by her again. Mike broke down the story piece by piece, leaving his wife aghast.

"So he's...like a second Zackwell, only...with light powers as well?"

"Basically."

"That's a bad thing, right?"

"Yep. He has no elemental weakness like Zackwell and can pull him out of the light realm if we send him back. Plus, he can revive and regenerate, just like his father. Basically, we can't kill him."

"I'm almost afraid to ask what the terrible news is." Jenn bit her lip.

"Zackwell brought back to life a few old enemies, such as Melbu Frahma, our first opponent who nearly killed us and Darteth, who nearly took our souls. Aside from them, he revived, Anna, Sean's wingly step-mother who died sealing Zackwell off in the realm of light. She's possessed and evil now, so including Zackwell and his son, that makes five of the deadliest forces to ever walk the earth versus us, the Dragoons, who nearly died just fighting each one individually."

Jenn stared once more. "So...does that explain why you're all beat up?"

"Yep! We fought since morning until God-only-knows-when. We gave it our all, but Zackwell kept reviving those we killed. We couldn't beat them. In the end, Zackwell knocked us all out and we woke up back in the clearing. We lost."

"You look pretty grim." Jenn noticed.

Mike gave her a look. "Do I have to repeat myself? We, the Dragoons, the most powerful good guys in existence just lost the most crucial battle ever. We _lost_."

"You can't try again?"

Now Mike was the one with the confused stare. "I know you're new to all this, but that may be the most inconsiderate thing I've ever heard!"

"I'm sorry!" She stroked his cheek. "I was just trying to help."

"Well, you can't." Mike sighed. "Nobody can. We're the only hope against this kind of thing and we LOST. If we couldn't beat them, who can?"

Jenn, of course, didn't have an answer. Mike looked down and shook his head. "None of us know what to do now. If we can't beat them, they will overrun us. The next time we fight, Zackwell might not be so merciful. He could kill us all."

"Hey, don't say that." Jenn said. "It makes me nervous."

"Yeah, well, you should be, honestly. Things are looking pretty hopeless." He laid his face in his hands. "I don't know what to do."

Jenn stroked his face and laid his weary head on her lap and ran her fingers through his hair the way he liked it, a feeble attempt to comfort him. On most occasions, Mike adored such treatment, knowing he had someone back home supporting him, but now he knew that the support and the home could both be gone soon. Buddy whimpered, his head laying on the couch.

"Things could get very bad very quickly." Mike warned.

"So it seems." Jenn nodded, dread creeping up on her. Mike always had a very positive outlook. She'd never seen him so distraught, so it must be serious. Jenn felt obligated to lift his spirits, but it was difficult to find any means to do so. "Hey, if there's one thing I've learned about Dragoons," She finally said, "It's that y'all don't go down without a fight."

"Mm." Mike mumbled. He knew she was trying to comfort him, but the impending doom made it hard to focus on such a thing.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" Jenn asked him, another weak attempt. Mike was only able to mutter out one pitiful word.

"Pancakes."

Jenn thought it was an odd request. "Pancakes?"

"A mountain of 'em."

She chuckled. "Pancake mountain coming right up." She moved Mike's head and went to the kitchen. Mike simply lay there until his dragon spoke to him.

_Downheartedness is the last thing we need here, Mike. Yes, we lost the battle horrendously, but that doesn't mean we cannot win the war. No, I don't know how we will do it, but I know we're not through yet._

Mike sighed. He was right, after all. Something tickled his hand. Mike looked down and saw Buddy licking it with his long tongue.

"Dog..." Mike said with a small grin. Painfully, Mike stood and walked up behind his wife at the stove. He wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head on her shoulder.

"Where would I be without you?"

"Nowhere special, I recon." She grinned. He had to chuckle and kissed her cheek tenderly. "Thanks for trying to cheer me up."

"Anything for you." She winked. Mike kissed her cheek again, then she turned so he could access her lips. For a few sweet moments, they were blissfully removed from the dreadful situation and rested in the peace of their own world.

Jenn removed her lips from his so she could look back at the food. "Dang." She said. "It should be the end of the world more often if it makes you kiss like that."

He laughed out loud, then his cell phone rang. "Yello?" He answered.

"Hey, it's me." Melissa said on the other line. Her voice sounded pained.

"You okay?"

"No, not really. I'm at Hank's house and...he...he's...Zackwell came and..."

"Oh, no." Mike didn't want to hear the rest. "Was his soul taken?"

"No, thankfully, but Sean was struck pretty hard. He said he ran off to blow off some steam and Ben followed him. Now we can't find either of them, nor can the dragons. We have no clue where they are."

Mike rested his head on a wall. "Hang on a sec." He turned to Jenn. "Dish out the ice cream too, Babe. We're all gonna die."

Buddy whimpered again.

* * *

Mayfil had not been so active in centuries. With the return of its caretaker and the abundance of darkness, the city was buzzing with activity. Souls were zipping about this way and that as the city shimmered a dull, chilly blue.

Zackwell was sitting on his throne, his comrades around him, savoring their victory.

"It was too much fun." Darteth laughed. "Oh, how I miss the days of mass mayhem. Humans running, fearing for their souls."

"What?" Melbu asked Zackwell.

"He thinks he's the last survivor of a great soul-stealing race." Zackwell explained. "Let him believe it."

Melbu Frahma chuckled. "I have to hand it to you, Zackwell. This plan was ingenious. With our combined forces, we cannot lose, we witnessed that today. I especially like two things, one being Anna. Restoring her brought devastation to the Divine Dragoon. The second thing? Your kid."

All eyes turned to the youngest member, whose face remained blank since the battle's end.

"Creating a being as powerful as you, but with light forces as well? That's-"

"Hold up." Zackwell said. "His powers are not as great as mine, not yet. He still needs time to develop. Even so, I agree on the brilliance, of course. An unstoppable combination of powers, it is my most intelligent move yet. And then, I brought you all back to ensure the demise of the Dragoons."

"But we didn't kill them." said Darteth. "Why?"

"To create a sense of hopelessness in them, of course. Death is too good for the Dragoons. I want them to suffer, and suffer they shall. You see, in death, you feel nothing. In life, emotions are present. Everything they thought they overcame will bring them to their knees. Also, bringing back painful memories is the best way to bring people down, and I intend to bring Sean down harder than a thousand-pound stone dropped from the sky." He put the death grip on his scythe. Then, he couldn't help but grin and put his arms behind his head. "Which is why everything is working out perfectly for me."

"So what's the next step?" Melbu asked. "March to their cities and wipe them out?"

Zackwell shook his head. "Not quite. First of all, we need our army. Second of all, even if we got that army up and running, I've tried that tactic before and it didn't work."

"But you have more powerful allies this time." Darteth pointed out.

"Yes, but I have a better idea, once we have our army ready."

"What kind of army can you make?" Melbu asked.

"An undead one." Zackwell said. "I simply use the souls in my stash, manipulate them, and give them zombie-like bodies to inhabit. They're quite effective against normal humans. I'll try to improve the models this time, though, and make them more fearless and reliable."

"And we can take care of the Dragoons." Melbu nodded, understanding. "It's a good plan, but how long-"

"Quiet!" Zackwell suddenly snapped. His eyes scanned the room, inexplicably searching for something. A second later, they narrowed. "You have to be kidding me."

Sean flew into the throne room, firing rapid blasts from his cannon. Zackwell jumped away and his throne was destroyed. Sean fired another few shots, but everybody avoided them. Sean dove at Zackwell and stabbed him through the heart, but Zackwell teleported to his other side and blasted him away.

"I don't believe what I am witnessing!" Zackwell laughed. "You came back! You actually came back!"

Sean pulled himself up. "I have a score to settle with you."

"Uh-huh." Zackwell was unconcerned. "Where are all your friends?"

"They don't know I've come here." Sean said. "It's just you and me."

Zackwell's eyes searched around, feeling the air of Mayfil. "Well I'll be, Sean. You're just full of surprises. You really did come alone. I must've hit you harder than I thought. Have you already forgotten what happened today?"

"I have my bad days."

Zackwell shook his head. "Poor fool. Well, if you're offering your life, how can I say no?" The evil forces surrounded him.

Sean smiled. "What's the matter, Zackwell? Can't do this on your own? Gotta have your crones to back you up?"

"Oh, it's like that, is it?" Zackwell nodded. "I suppose it should be expected. Alright, we'll play it your way, Sean. Let's dance. I'll lead."

Zackwell jumped over Sean's head and swung his scythe. Sean blocked it and three more quick swings and then ducked under another, then finally got the chance to stab. Zackwell bent out of the way and swung his own blade down. Sean blocked just in time and backflipped, kicking Zackwell in the jaw as he did so and fired a shot from his cannon when he landed. Zackwell was blown back, but flailed and landed on his feet. Sean fired a long beam, but Zackwell spun like a top, cutting through the beam and spinning closer to Sean. When he was close enough, he swung a low leg, tripping Sean and then kicked him into the air and blasted him away.

Sean landed back on his feet and fought for a strategy. The one-on-one deal had worked easily, but even so, it was the Rage Dragoon that beat Zackwell before, which he could not access. Zackwell lunged at him and Sean thrust his anger forward. Swinging his blade with inhuman might, he stunned Zackwell upon the impact of their clash. Sean swung furiously left and right, forcing Zackwell backwards until he hit the wall. Sean rammed his knee into Zackwell's gut, then jumped up, backflipping to kick him upright and then kicked off his chest, flipping again. When he landed, Sean impaled Zackwell with the full force of his cannon.

Zackwell reconfigured himself behind Sean and grabbed his neck. With demon strength, he threw Sean over his head and emitted a black ray to follow. Sean flew across the hall and crashed through a pillar. He got back to his feet surprisingly quick and leapt back into the air, shooting more cannon blasts. The foes dove at each other again. Sean swiped right through Zackwell, but as the continued, Zackwell's tail suddenly wrapped around him and threw him into a wall.

"Listen." Zackwell said. "I'm enjoying the fight, don't get me wrong, but I'm kinda busy right now and don't have the time for you, so..." he snapped his fingers and the other dark forces surrounded him.

Sean's jaw clenched. That plan failed.

Zackwell pointed forward and they all fired a beam at Sean. He defended the best he could, but was overcome and fell back. Sean stood again and Darteth charged forward. Sean blocked the first move, but Darteth made a quick slash across his chest, immediately followed by many more. Then he jumped up and Sean was met with the supercharged fist of Melbu Frahma. He flew back and crashed into a stone ledge. Before he could fall forward, Melbu ran forward and punched him again. Sean crashed through the ledge and landed hard on his back. Melbu ran forward and picked Sean up and threw him up into the air, then fired a beam after him, sending him higher. When Sean came back down, he caught him and slammed him into the ground. Sean struggled to get up, but when he did, Zackwell's son picked him up and threw him away. A black beamed formed in his hands and Sean powered up his cannon. Both fired at once and the beams collided. They poured as much power as possible into their attacks and the visible line between them began to move…towards Sean. He was weakened from the assault, but was in no mood to quit. He gave more power to it and it moved in the other direction. But this was the son of the most powerful being on earth. His dark eye glowed red and the power instantly shifted and the beam flew back and hit Sean. Zackwell's son gave him a chance to rise.

"You really are a troubled child." Sean said.

The child laughed, but still didn't speak. He ran forward and Sean blocked his spear, but was too weak to continue it, and was open to an endless barrage of spear attacks. Zackwell's son had definitely changed. He was much faster. Sean could barely see him move. He was also stronger. Every move felt like it pierced his armor. Also, he seemed darker. The evil inside him was growing at a rapid rate. Whatever hope there was for the goodness inside him was diminishing, and quickly. But he didn't have time to worry about it that right now. He had to worry about how he was going to survive this.

Finally, the barrage stopped, and the child jumped back. His dark eye glowed and flashed its invisible blast. Some of Sean's armor was blown away, as was he. Then, he stepped back as Sean caught his breath.

_Sean,_ The Divine Dragon spoke to him. _We have to get out of here._

"I can't leave." Sean seethed. "Not until Zackwell is dead."

_You can't go on!_

"He just caught me by surprise, and I'm not calling you this time. It didn't help at all last time."

_Alright, but keep this somewhere in your thick skull: soon enough, you will learn the consequences of your anger and the resulting actions you take. When that strikes you, you will finally want your friends around to comfort you. _The Dragon was silent for a moment. _But they will not come, for you keep pushing them away. Melissa...Ben...you even push me away, the source of your power. Who is next, Sean?_

"Just...stop talking." Sean whispered. "I can't concentrate."

_Very well. I'll be here when you need me...looks like I'll be the only one._

Sean looked to the ground. The Divine Dragon was right. Sean knew that somewhere down in his heart, but the different types of rage were still combining in his mind, overcoming his rational thoughts. He had to destroy Zackwell.

Zackwell was studying Sean's face. "I think I get it now, why you came back. You must have seen your father."

Sean clenched his fist, trying to keep the images out of his head, as well as the memories. If they came up, he only wanted Melissa around to witness his breakdown. Of course, thoughts of Melissa rose again. Sean fought to keep all non-battle thoughts from his head. However, they were about to rush at him mercilessly as Zackwell continued to speak.

"Your father's demise is the only reason I can think of your return and your non-surprised face confirms it. It must be painful seeing your father in such a pained state, eh? Did you see the shotgun at his side? It shows he tried to fight me, and lost, of course. Aw, did I hit a nerve?" He grinned as the malice dripped from his tongue and seeped deep into Sean's heart. "Hey, look at the bright side...at least _one_ of your parents is still alive."

Sean slowly looked up from the ground, black emotions colliding in the unfathomably cold words. Zackwell stepped aside as Anna stepped forward, her eyes devoid of their normal depth. Nothing but darkness filled them now.

"Anna." Sean choked out the name. She was the reason he had a wall in the first place. "Anna, it's me...it's Sean, don't you remember?"

"She remembers everything." Zackwell informed him. "But she can do nothing about it; she is fully under my command." He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, his smile still on his face. "If you could only hear her screams."

He was doing it all on purpose.

"Attack." Zackwell spoke. Anna rushed at him, a blade appearing in her hand. She swung and he blocked. She stepped back and waited for his counter, a ploy of Zackwell, no doubt. There was no way Sean could strike her back. She swung again and their blades clashed again, but Sean made no move to follow through, though she left herself wide open.

"You can't attack her, can you?" Zackwell asked him. "That's a pity, because she can sure attack YOU!"

Anna fired a great wave that blew him against the wall. Anna shot out her magical cord and grabbed Sean and threw him back across the room, hitting the opposite wall. The Divine Dragon acted quickly, shooting a thin beam from the center eye on Sean's chest, cutting through the cord. Anny jumped at him and Sean dove away. Anna fired a great beam from both hands. Sean crossed his arms and took the hit, barely feeling it. He uncrossed them when the attack was done to see a very displeased Anna. She extended one hand, a wingly symbol glowing on her forehead. Sean's mind warped. Everything suddenly tripled and wobbled. Sean couldn't focus on anything as Anna tore him apart, slashing him all about. She forced him away with her powers and he skidded across the ground. Registering his thoughts, Sean stood to his feet.

"That's your plan then?" Sean asked. "To use my memories and emotions against me? It won't work!"

"Oh?" Zackwell said, calling off Anna. "Should I further your torture?" Zackwell stretched out his hand to the soul chamber. A soul flew from it, settling in Zackwell's grip.

"Whose soul is that?" Sean asked.

"A bonus prize, to be honest." Zackwell toyed with the soul in his hand. "I seriously didn't expect this one to come up, not this early in the game, at least, but that's irony for you. Speaking of irony, you sure hit the jackpot, didn't you, Sean?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You should've kept up that wall you built when you were young. You kept your emotions guarded, safe from harm. After years of maintaining that barrier, you finally let it collapse, allowing yourself to feel again. Tragically, by allowing yourself to connect with others, you left yourself wide open for pain. By allowing yourself to have friends, you also left _them_ open for torture because seeing them in pain hurts _you._" Zackwell looked at the soul. "At least that's what I thought, but your recent actions confuse me."

"What are you getting at?" Sean demanded. "Whose soul is that?"

Zackwell's grin turned sinister again. "One of many that will bring you to your knees." He opened his hand and the soul fell to the ground, sinking into the soil. Zackwell shot a stream of black energy into the soul and fire erupted from beneath the earth. A body came out, indistinguishable behind the flames. Sean waited a moment for the body to fully emerge. At last, the fire vanished and the figure stood, staring at the ground, its body seeming weak.

He was about Sean's height and age with short, black hair. He was decently muscular, obviously fine-toned from training with the blade sashed at his waste. Two things gave away his identity. First were the eyes when the man looked up. He knew those eyes, though now they were cold and lifeless. The second thing was the Red-Eye Dragoon Spirit hanging around his neck.

Sean found himself immobilized in a horrified shock. Anna was one thing, but this was beyond disbelief: it was an unknown nightmare come to life. Sean shook his head, stammering the words that choked his throat.

"No...no, God, NO!"

"Yes, yes, YES!" Zackwell laughed.

"That's impossible! How did you get his soul! It was protected by Caron's spell!"

"That spell only works until...when, Sean?"

Sean didn't want to believe it. "Until...until they die..."

"So what's the confusing issue here?" Zackwell taunted.

Sean's blade trembled in his hands. "How?"

"Well, he was just lying there, so I snagged the opportunity."

"What do you mean?" Sean was overwhelmed with frustrated rage. Zackwell wasn't being clear.

"Remember when you knocked him out of the sky before coming here? Yes, I saw it, Sean."

"So you killed him while he was unconscious."

"No, I didn't need to." He snickered. "When I came upon him, he was already dead. I found his body broken already. His ribs were broken and his lungs were punctured. His spine was snapped in two and blood was rushing from his head. All the result of a terrible fall caused by a strong blunt force to the chest."

Realization hit Sean like a train. He dropped to his knees.

"It can't be..."

"It is, Sean. You killed your best friend just because you wanted to get back at me."

Sean shook his head. "No! That's ridiculous! I don't believe you!"

_Sean..._The Divine Dragon spoke. _It is true...the Red-Eye Dragon told me so..._

"Face the facts, Sean." Zackwell said. "Your anger towards me has only caused the downfall of yourself and all your Dragoon friends. Once they're out of the way, NOTHING will stop me from eradicating all human life from this world. You're making this all the easier on me, Sean, so thank your for your help and cooperation."

Cooperating with Zackwell; the ultimate low.

Sean's fists clutched the dirt on the ground. He hated Zackwell. He hated himself. Most of all, he hated that there seemed to be no end to this downward spiral. How long could it go on? How long could he take it? Which of his friends would be next to suffer his selfishness?

_Perhaps all is not yet lost._ The Divine Dragon said to Sean.

"What do you mean?" Sean muttered.

_Perhaps we can put that anger of yours to good use. When you became the Rage Dragoon last time, I was able to store a bit of power from all the other dragons and kept it within my spirit, trying to amplify it with my own powers in case we were ever in a situation like this. Your anger and frustration are high enough that we might be able to transform you into the Rage Dragoon once again._

Sean couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Are you serious?"

_Yes. It may just be enough to work, but only this once. It won't be as powerful as the real thing, but perhaps powerful enough to save you and put fear back in Zackwell's black heart._

"Then let's give it a shot." He looked up at Zackwell. "This is far from over, Zackwell!"

A sudden rush of power shot through his body, engulfing him completely, as well as the area around him. Flashes of every Dragoon color filled the room and blinded the dark team and a series of deafening explosions sounded off. His armor became thicker and darker as his body shifted to meet the new requirements of his power. Eight wings, eight Dragoon eyes, eight different powers, and a whole lot of firepower, all wrapped up into one ferocious beast: The Rage Dragoon.

"What is THAT?" Melbu demanded.

Zackwell's smile vanished immediately upon seeing this new foe. This was something entirely unexpected. He brandished his scythe. "Keep your guard up. This one is dangerous."

"Time to end this." Sean said in a majestic voice. He powered up his cannon with three different kinds of power and fired six blasts. The first two were for Anna and Ben. It was only powerful enough to stun them, for he wished not to destroy them. The next three blasts were for Darteth, Melbu Frahma, and the cross-breed child. They were set to kill and kill they did with a great show of power. The last blast was aimed at Zackwell and set for obliteration. A tremendous explosion rocked the tower.

Zackwell regenerated himself and took in the souls of his fallen comrades and threw them into the ground, filling them with his evil powers. They rose back from the ground, eyes burning with hatred. Zackwell's son restored Ben and Anna to full fighting condition.

"So easily you fall to this power." Sean noted. "What ever happened to your more powerful form, Zackwell?"

"Such a form is not needed." Zackwell said. He wasn't positive on how he would beat the Rage Dragoon, but he had known that they would face off sooner or later, but he hadn't expected it at this moment, so all he had were theories.

Sean gathered his strength together, utilizing every last drop to create a team of his own.

"Elemental Warriors, emerge!" He shouted. Zackwell remembered this move. Humanoid creatures appeared all around Sean. One was made of wind gales, one of flames, one of stone, one of water, one of light, one of darkness, one of electricity, and one of magnificent non-elemental power.

Perfect.

"Go!" He commanded and they rushed at Zackwell and his army. Zackwell teleported past them, unhindered and uninterested. This was going to require a lot of strength.

He crashed into Sean and placed a hand on the center eye of his armor.

"EXTRACTION!" Powers collided and fired throughout Sean's body as lights flashed of every Dragoon color madly.

So this was Zackwell's plan, Sean connected. He was going to draw out Sean's ultimate power and use it for himself. That was why he got Sean riled up. Due to this collision of power, the elemental warriors froze in place, awaiting commands.

With an outburst of power, Zackwell was blown away and landed on his back, but quickly jumped back up. Sean landed on his side and took some time regaining himself. He looked himself over. He still had the armor and he still felt the power flowing through his veins.

"What...?" Sean asked.

_I'm not sure._ The Divine Dragon spoke, still the dominant figure in the combination. _You still have your powers and all, but...something isn't right...I can't quite tell what it is, though._

Sean decided to ignore it. "For a name like Extraction, I expected more." He said, standing back up. "Was that your plan? To get me angry enough to use my Rage Dragoon powers and then take them for your own?"

"Nah." Zackwell said. "Don't need 'em. I'm quite content with my own abilities."

"We'll see how they stand up to mine." Sean said. "White Warrior! Go!"

The being made no move. Sean turned his head to it. "White Warrior! Go!" Still nothing.

Zackwell finally spoke. "White Warrior! Go!"

The warrior fired a white beam at Sean, cutting through him instead of healing. He dropped to a knee, more in shock than pain. He looked up and saw all the other warriors turning against him. They each fired their own elemental blasts and Rage Dragoon Sean was forced away by the rush of power.

"I knew you'd turn into the Rage Dragoon sooner or later, Sean. I didn't expect it now, though, of course. I must admit I wasn't quite prepared, but you threw the opportunity at my face, so I had to test a theory. It turned out positive! Impressive, no?"

"So you gained control of my elemental warriors." Sean sighed. He could think of one creature that could easily defeat these things and perhaps eliminate Zackwell's forces as well.

"Alright then." Sean said. "Unfortunately for you, I'm full of tricks. Rage Dragon! Come forth!"

The following silence sent a shiver up Sean's spine.

_Something's wrong._ The Divine Dragon said to him._ I cannot unleash the combined power...something hinders me..._

Zackwell knew the explanation. "You're saying it all wrong, Sean. Chaos Dragon! Arise!"

He shot his weapon hand into the air and the ground erupted behind him. The dragon came up through the ground, shaking the tower with its overpowering presence. The beast was massive, lined in scales as black as the midnight sky. Eight wings, and eight eyes, all glowing red. The Dragon landed, barley fitting in the enormous room and glared down at Sean.

"No..." It was all the energy Sean had left to say. His morale had taken one hit after another and now, he was just ready to give up and die.

"Unfortunately for you," Zackwell said, "I'm also full of tricks. You think I only took over your control of the elemental warriors? Your assumptions just keep costing you. Even I didn't think you could seriously bring your side of the board to such pathetic odds.

"Look at what I have created! Look at the unstoppable force I have forged! Do you now see my plan? Do you see how truly unbeatable I am! I am Zackwell, King of Darkness on Earth! Nothing will stand in my way! One way or another you and all your friends WILL die and all light with be extinguished under my power!

"Still confused? Look around you! On my side, we have Melbu Frahma, Darteth, Anna, Ben, my son, eight warriors of each element, and the Rage Dragon! On your side? YOU! You are the only one who is ALWAYS in my way! No longer will you be a thorn in my side! How glorious it is to see you now, stripped of all hope! See my glory! See your demise. Feel the darkness choke this world of all light. Say goodbye to your powers. Say goodbye to your friends. Say goodbye to the family you've created. Say goodbye to the Dragoons. Say goodbye to all that you know and enter the world of blackness. Enter Armageddon! THIS WORLD IS MIIIIINNNEE!"

With that last emphasized word, Zackwell shot his fist into the air and the soul chamber shot out a column of red flame, illuminating the world.

"Now, Sean, at long, long last, it is time to say farewell to you. You were a worthy adversary...and it was your undoing. Now, just for one last piece of irony..." He looked up at the Chaos Dragon. "Kill him."

The Dragon began gathering its power. Sean hit all fours, devoid of all hope. How had this happened to him? How had the Dragoons, the elite fighting force, come down to a meager force that would be soon trampled? How could they fail?

The dragon's mouth opened, its supreme power gathering into a shining sphere.

"Everything is gone." Sean whispered. "Everything I worked for...gone..."

As the dragon fired, he closed his eyes and allowed himself to be hit, to die. Perhaps it would finally atone for his mistakes.

With an explosion of unprecedented light, the attack collided, its impact breaking the walls, crumbling the foundations. Sean felt the rumbling...but not the blast itself. He looked up and saw the miracle everyone else saw. The Divine Dragon stood with his side facing the Rage Dragon, protecting Sean from the blast. It let out a mighty roar that shook the earth.

"What the!" Zackwell exclaimed.

Sean had no explanation. He hadn't summoned the dragon and he was still in his Rage Dragoon form. Yet somehow, the Divine Dragon had forced his way into the world.

The Rage Dragon hissed and spoke in a dark, metallic voice. "You think you can stand up to my power? Stand aside or be destroyed!"

The Divine Dragon scoffed. "You are no real dragon. You're a mockery, nothing more. Your powers cannot possibly overcome mine."

Furious and insulted, the Rage Dragon roared. "Fine then! I'll blast through both of you!"

"You cannot kill me and will not kill him." The Divine Dragon braced himself.

"What are you doing!" Sean demanded. "You'll be shredded!"

"Will I?" The dragon asked.

The Rage Dragon continued gathering all its energy into its mouth again. With a thrust of its head, the dragon emitted an incredible ray. The Divine Dragon dug its claws into the ground and took the full force of the blow. Sean shielded his eyes from the blinding lights. When he looked again, the Divine Dragon still stood. It was panting, but it was alive.

"My turn." He said, gathering his power into his cannon. Sean was marveled that they were both still standing. What was next?

"He cannot destroy us all." Zackwell crossed his arms. "What is his plan?"

The Divine Dragon finished gathering its strength and at the last second, turned its cannon. Suddenly, the panels on his chest opened up and fired their Divine Ball assault. Energy balls shot from the panels, exploding upon contact with everything they touched, being the enemy forces, including the Rage Dragon.

Then, with the coast clear, the Divine Dragon fired his cannon, right at the soul chamber. The explosion was brilliant and deafening. Souls exploded every which way, flying about the room frantically. Sean turned his head to avoid being blinded by the lights and something scooped him up suddenly.

"We're out of here." The Divine Dragon said, pumping his wings for all he was worth. Sean let the powers of the dragons go and instantly fell unconscious from the lack of power.

* * *

When Sean woke up, he had no clue where he was. A bright light blinded him and he quickly covered his eyes.

"Geez!" Sean exclaimed.

"The sun has that effect on people."

Shielding his eyes, Sean turned to whoever was kneeling next to him. As luck would have it, it was Melissa. Perfect.

"Where am I?" He asked.

"The clearing. It's just past noon, if you want to know. Now that you know where you are, I want to know where you've been."

Sean sat up with some effort. His Rage Dragoon powers hadn't taken too much out of him, since he didn't use his powers too much, but he was still very weary.

"Where was I?" He repeated. "I was in a living nightmare"

"Cut the crap, Sean! Tell me...did you go to Mayfil?"

There was no point in hiding it. "I did."

"Why?"

"I was angry. I wanted Zackwell to pay."

"And did he?"

Tears were welling in his eyes. "Nope." He said. "I did."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sean's life was barely spared as his arrogance and fury left the Dragoons in even worse condition. Overwhelmed yet? Now what will the Dragoons do...or what's left of them? Please tell me what you thought. Chap 8 will be up soon enough.


	8. The Comeback

Chapter Eight: The Comeback

Sean told Melissa everything. By the time his story was complete, she was as shocked and appalled as he was when he experienced it. Sean confessed his selfish intentions. He'd gone back to Mayfil alone. He wanted Zackwell to pay so bad that he had lied and killed to do it. After the corruption was done, Sean only made things worse. Now, things were even more hopeless than they had been.

Evidently, the Divine Dragon had brought Sean home and then called the Dark Dragon, who spoke to Melissa, who came to find Sean. Since then, she'd waited for him to awaken, just waiting to hear him try to explain his way out of it. But surprisingly enough, he didn't. He confessed everything and didn't hold back one detail.

When the tale was told, Sean sat with his back against a tree, staring at the ground. He was just waiting for Melissa to explode.

"Go ahead." He beckoned. "Say what you want to say."

Melissa shook her head. "I'm so furious, I don't know where to begin."

"I lied to you." Sean offered. "I lied just so I could get my way. I went back to the way I swore I never would be again...the way I ruined things last time." He looked up at her, awaiting a response.

She looked down at the ground and grabbed two fistfuls of her hair, frustrated beyond reckoning.

"GOD!" She exclaimed. "What the hell is wrong with you, Sean? You think you can do this whole Dragoon operation yourself or something? Are we not measuring up to something you dreamed? You may be stronger than we are, but that gives you no right to push us aside just to achieve your goals! I thought you learned that! I thought you SWORE to me that you wouldn't return to that lifestyle! Not only have you gone back on that promise, but you relapsed tenfold!"

"I know." He didn't say it out of anger. It was the cold truth. He knew and there was nothing he could do to erase it.

"We keep on putting our trust in you, Sean, but now you've shattered it!

"I know." He repeated.

Melissa threw her arms in the air. "Is that all you have to say?"

"I'm pretty sure I'm at the bottom of my life, Melissa, but I've been thinking that for a day or two now and every time I think that, I prove myself wrong, so I figure I'd better just keep my trap shut and listen for once."

That was one of the things Melissa had wanted to say. Now she was mad because she couldn't say it. Frightened of what she might say next, Melissa just shouted in fury. She squatted down and put her face in her hands, shaking her head.

"Christie's going to be crushed." She muttered.

"I think he can still be saved." Sean attempted.

"Oh?" Melissa sat down and crossed her arms. "And what's your glorious plan for doing that without making things worse?"

Sean threw his arms in the air. "I don't have one! You're right, though. Every plan I've had recently just made things worse, so I'm a little afraid to even think of one!" He covered his face. Melissa knew what it meant, though it had been a long time since she saw it. There was an uneasy silence for a moment before Melissa finally spoke, staring at the broken man.

"You really know, don't you? You really know the depth of the situation. You know how terrible this is and how much you've screwed things up for everyone, don't you? You know how much you've hurt me, Christie, and all of your friends?"

His breathing heavy, Sean nodded. "I do."

Melissa wasn't sure what to think. "Somehow I thought you'd be more defiant than this."

Sean shook his head. "Why deny it? I'm an idiot."

"True." Melissa said, actually able to make them both chuckle for a second.

"All I can say," Sean continued, "is that I'm sorry. I wish I could say that it won't ever happen again, but as you can see, I don't know that for sure. All I want to do now is set things right. Once that's done, then we can worry about Zackwell."

Melissa took a deep breath. "Look me in the eyes." She tilted his face up. "Now tell me that you mean that. Tell me your mean that your friends and family are priority one. Everything else, even Zackwell, is second."

Sean leaned forward, staring into her pained eyes, filled with doubt and confusion. "I mean it." He said. "Zackwell wanted me to put him first and break everything apart that I've worked to fix, but I'm not going to let it happen anymore. You are my number one."

Melissa never fully figured out why she believed him. Maybe it was because she saw the truth in his eyes or maybe she just desperately wanted to believe him no matter what. Whatever the reason, she laid her head on his chest, tears in her eyes. Sean wrapped his arms around her and let his own flow.

* * *

Brad and Brittany were the last ones to arrive.

"Took a while to find a babysitter for Sabrina." Brittany explained. "Sorry."

"It's alright." Sean said. "Gives me time to think." He had called everyone to his house that afternoon so that they may all know where he had been. Of course, it would not be a pretty meeting, but they all had the right to know.

The other Dragoons were both anxious and nervous. They'd never seen Sean so stressed, so this had to be big. Even Jenn and Marian were present, dying to know what was happening.

"So can we finally know what's going on?" Jenn asked.

Sean searched for the right way to bring this up. "Well...I'm sure you've...all heard about my dad." They had heard, so none of them said anything about it. "It set something off in me. I told Melissa I was going to blow off some steam, and in a way, I was truthful. What I intended to do was go back to Mayfil and give Zackwell a piece of my mind...so I went alone."

"Smart." Mike said sardonically, always keeping tabs on Sean. "I'm going to take a stab in the dark and say that it didn't work."

"Nope." Sean said. "It backfired cataclysmically."

"Big words scare me." Brad shivered.

"Question." Christie spoke up. Sean felt the butterflies in his stomach multiply endlessly. "When you left, Ben followed you. What happened to him?"

Oh, how Sean wished he could be in any situation but this one. How could this possibly put lightly? With a heavy heart, Sean told the tale.

"Ben knew I would go back to Mayfil, so he tried to stop me. In my anger, I was...too thick-headed to listen to him, so he tried to execute force. I knocked him out of the sky and flew to Mayfil. A few moments after I got there...I saw what happened to him." His voice trailed

Christie became edgy. "What is it?"

"Ben..." Sean stared at the ground, refusing to look her in the eye. "It turns out that...the punch I gave him was...harder than I intended. Zackwell said that...when he found Ben..."

"Found!" Christie choked.

"His lungs were punctured..." Christie broke down at that alone. "His spine was broken." Sean found his own tears welling up, reliving what happened. "And he was bleeding profusely in the head...my attack killed him."

Christie fell to her knees in utter shock. Brittany and Melissa rushed to her sides. Nobody else could even move in their disbelief.

"You're kidding us, right?" Brad finally asked.

"I wish I were, Brad...but Ben's dead thanks to me."

Robert, who had been friends with Ben since kindergarten, couldn't stand for this. "You son of a-!" He charged and tackled Sean, wrapping his hands around his throat. Brad and Mike grabbed hold of him and yanked him off, pinning him to the wall. Marian stood in front of him, hands on his cheeks, attempting to calm him down.

"But..." Jenn was confused. "He was your best friend, wasn't he?"

Salt on the wounds again.

"Yes." Sean admitted. "But I think we can still save him."

"You thought you could stop Zackwell by yourself too, Sean!" Mike snapped.

"Just hear me out!" Sean pleaded. "I found out what happened because Zackwell took his soul and turned him into a puppet, just like Anna. He may be under Zackwell's control, but he's still alive in a sense, just like Melbu and Darteth. I think that if we can break Zackwell's grip, he'll be freed."

"How are we going to do that?" Brad had to ask.

Sean turned to the weeping Christie. He knelt down and put his hand on her shoulders. "Christie, you're the only one who can save him. You're the light Dragoon. You can fight against Zackwell's grip and free him. Christie, I want to bring him back just as much as you do, but you're going to have to work with me, okay?"

With a hope that Ben might be saved, Christie nodded her head. Sean stood back up and looked around the room.

"Having one less Dragoon isn't going to help the situation, though." Marian pointed out.

"Oh, it gets worse." Sean sighed. "The Divine Dragon told me that he had saved a bit of power from all of your dragons previously so that I could use the Rage Dragoon in a desperate situation."

"I can't wait to hear how this turns out." Mike groaned.

"Well, it started alright, but when I called the Elemental Warriors, it all went to Hell."

"Called the what?" Brittany spoke up.

"That's right. You guys weren't there. Okay, a benefit of the Rage Dragoon is that I can create a set of warriors, each made up of one of our elements. Well, Zackwell did something to me and the next thing I knew, they were under his command."

"So it's like having all our own powers thrown back at us." Robert translated.

"Yep."

Robert rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Things just can't get any worse, can they?"

"Actually...they can."

Everyone expressed their frustration in one form or another. Sean told them what happened.

"I called the Rage Dragon, pretty much the most powerful beast in existence and...or I tried to call it rather, but...it wasn't under my power anymore either. Zackwell controls the dragon as well...or a mockery of it, at least."

"Aw, man!" Brad groaned. "You suck, Sean!"

"I know..." He sighed.

"So let me get this straight." Brittany said, standing up from Christie's side. "You were up against Zackwell, his son, the God of Destruction, a soul-stealer, your former mentor, your best friend, eight elemental warriors and the most powerful dragon in existence?"

"Yep."

"How are you still alive?"

"I'm not entirely sure. The Divine Dragon appeared somehow, though I didn't call him. He created a sufficient distraction and got us out of that place. I woke up in the clearing with Melissa."

"When the Divine Dragon brought Sean home," Melissa said, "he called my dragon, who then told me."

Mike slumped into a seat. "So what are we going to do?"

"At this point," Sean said, "All that matters is getting Ben back. Once we're done with that, I don't care what happens next."

"So we have to go back to Mayfil?" Brad asked. All eyes turned to him.

"Yes, but with purpose this time. Once we get Ben back, we can get out of there, okay? I just can't sit back and let Zackwell control my friend. The least I can do for him is try, you know?"

There was a small silence.

"I don't believe I'm saying this," Robert spoke up, "but I'm with him."

"So am I." Christie said, standing. "If there's a chance I can save him, I'll take it."

"Heck, I'm in." Brad shrugged.

"Not without me." Brittany put in.

"Well, if y'all are going, I'd better tag along." Mike stood from his seat.

Melissa nodded. "I'll go too."

"Good." Sean said. "We can leave whenever you guys want."

"Let's go _now_." Christie proposed. "We have to get Ben back."

The Dragoons exchanged glances.

"The day is young." Mike pointed out.

"Alright." Sean nodded. "We'll go now. I'll set things right for you guys...I promise."

* * *

Nothing much had changed about Mayfil. It was dark, it was spooky, it was filled with souls, the whole shebang. The Dragoons were getting sick of the place. After packing a few healing items and goodbyes to Jenn and Marian, the Dragoons headed off for Mayfil yet again.

The soul tower was still crumbling from the last battle, and it had not been completely rebuilt. The soul chamber was put back together, though, as was Zackwell's throne, always the first priority of course.

The Dragoons landed near the throne. There was no sign of Zackwell, but Sean knew how to get his attention.

"Zackwell!" He called. "One more?"

"One more?" A fell voice responded in the wind that picked up. "One more? You know I'm always ready and willing to tear you apart, Sean..." Zackwell's figure appeared on the throne. "I just didn't know you'd become a glutton for punishment."

"I'm a slow learner." Sean said.

Zackwell rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Here we go again. Always one to flaunt your strength and yet even the Rage Dragoon couldn't save you this time." He let out a heavy sigh. "Well, you barely escaped with your life last time, but don't expect to do the same-"

Sean fired a shot from his cannon. Zackwell teleported out of harm's way, but the top of his throne was destroyed. Zackwell reappeared in front of his throne.

"Just shut up, Zackwell." Sean said. "I came here for a reason."

"Anxious to die, eh? Fine then. Let's do it." He snapped his fingers.

With flashes of white light, Melbu Frahma and Anna appeared. Darteth rushed speedily onto the scene. Zackwell's son teleported into sight. Then, from the shadows emerged Ben.

Christie could not take her eyes off the final member. She had wanted to badly not to believe Sean, but there was the proof, right in front. His eyes, once full of life and laughter were now shallow and empty.

_Stay strong, Christie._ The White-Silver Dragon said in her mind. Melissa gripped Christie's hand for comfort.

"Aw..." Zackwell taunted. "The Light Dragoon seems distressed. Perhaps you would like to join your dear husband?" He snickered at his own cruelty as the dark forces moved inward, surrounding the Dragoons.

"You guys ready?" Sean asked them first. They all said they were. "Good. LET'S GO!" They all split up and began the battle.

Robert made it his duty to take on the son of Zackwell. Though it was very risky, Robert knew that they were both spear-wielders so he stood a chance in a hand-to-hand combat.

He swung his spear wide, emitting a focused gust, but the child jumped over it and stabbed. Robert slid to the side and jabbed the child in the ribs with his knee, then blew him back a bit with his magic so he could swing an attack. The child blocked it and moved to strike on his own, but Robert just used the other side of his spear to block the attack and swung with the blade again. They danced back and forth, each trying to get a good hit in before Robert gave him a surprise.

The child swung his spear again and pressed against Robert, but with a green flash, a windy gale knocked him back. Robert jumped into the air and dove at him. He swung downward and followed-through with the momentum, flipping forward into another strike. He flew to one side and rushed along to the other side, slicing the child's chest, then spun as he dove at him, making a quick stab before he jumped back. He finally rushed in for one more stab, unleashing a windy blast at the end.

The child jumped back to his feet and healed his wounds effortlessly. Robert wasn't worried, though. The combo he had just performed was the oldest one he knew and it had done nicely.

Brittany saw it best that she fight Darteth herself. Darteth was very fast, but so was Brittany. He swung a thousand slashes in a second, but she twirled her mallet all about her body, deflecting every strike and eventually kicked away from him. He jumped at her again, but she slid away and swung hard, connecting her weapon to his head, knocking him away.

Brittany took this opportunity to perform one of her more powerful moves. She placed her mallet head on the ground with the handle pointing straight up. Brittany stood on her tip toes on the mallet's tip and crossed her arms over her chest. Blades of ice began to quickly form.

"Diamond Dust!" She declared, swinging her arms wide. Darteth swung a mighty downward strike. The power of his blade shattered the ice and he was unharmed.

"Is that the best you can do? Pathetic!" Darteth rushed at her again. He obviously hadn't learned his lesson.

Brittany spun to the side, swinging her mallet. She contacted at such an angle that Darteth was knocked into the air. Brittany quickly flew in front of him and smacked further into the air, but in the other direction. She moved up under him and swung upwards, shooting him straight up. Finally, Brittany flew above him and swung hard. With a painful smack, Darteth was sent right into the ground, which he hit with a hard thud.

"Bo-ring." Brittany rolled her eyes.

Mike and Brad teamed up to take down Melbu Frahma. Brad launched dozens of thunderbolts, but not one could hurt Melbu. The wingly shot twin beams from his eyes and Brad quickly moved away.

Mike swung his giant axe, but missed entirely as Melbu teleported away and swung his blade. Mike's spirit glowed and his shot up his left arm. The might of his Dragoon armor deflected the attack and Mike was quick enough to let go of his axe and punch Melbu away.

Melbu fired another few blasts at the two dragoons, but they were again evaded. They quickly exchanged a plan and put it into motion. Mike shot to Melbu Frahma and swung his axe again, but again, Melbu teleported. This time, he was ready with a magical ball in his hand.

However, Brad suddenly shot right at him, foot extended. Melbu was kicked far away and Mike shot his fists into the air with his spirit glowing. A geyser of earth shot up and knocked Melbu into the air, where he was quickly struck down by Brad's immense thunderbolt. The two Dragoons laughed and high-fived.

Although it pained her to fight Sean's ex-mentor, Melissa made it her duty to take care of Anna. She struck quickly with her rapier, but Anna teleported to behind her and kicked her away. Melissa turned, but could not avoid the white blast that knocked her out of the sky.

She hit the ground hard and forced herself to get back up. Anna came at her with a swing of her blade. Melissa put up her own and they clashed. Anna swung left and right, and Melissa's thin blade was quickly overcome. Melissa received a slash on her right cheek before she was blown away with another white magic blast.

Anna walked over to Melissa and grabbed her long hair, yanking her to her feet. Melissa bit her tongue to avoid from crying out in pain, then spoke.

"Now, you see...this just doesn't happen!" She elbowed Anna in the gut, then swung her fist back up to bash her face and kicked her away. "Astral Drain!" Melissa shouted, throwing her glowing blade into Anna's body. Melissa's magic drew the energy out of her and gave it to Melissa in a beam form. The newfound energy restored and revitalized Melissa and she felt much better. She extended her hand and her blade returned to it.

"Pulling hair..." Melissa muttered. "Just cuz I'm a girl don't mean I have to fight like one..."

It was obviously Sean's task to duel with Zackwell. Sean was trying to focus himself better this time instead of just mad swinging. Zackwell swiped at him, but Sean stepped back just to avoid it, then step back in to swing an overhead strike, then a side swipe before shooting Zackwell backwards with a cannon blast.

Zackwell rolled with the hit and ended up back on his feet. He teleported over to Sean's left side and swung, but Sean shot up his foot and kicked him in the ribs, then swung his blade over his head and into Zackwell's skull. The demon took the hit and swung his arms back, forcing Sean away. Zackwell's cranium sealed shut as he walked over to Sean.

The Dragoon stood to his feet and powered up his cannon.

"Always a bum rush." Zackwell muttered. Just as he saw Sean's cannon flash, he teleported. However, Sean had anticipated Zackwell's thinking. The flash was all the cannon did. His Dragoon Spirit glowed and an energy bubble surrounded him. When Zackwell appeared to strike him down, he was deflected by the bubble and thrown into the sky, where Sean really did shoot him down.

"I'm thinking a bit more clearly now, Zackwell." Sean said. "Better step up your game."

Christie could not bring herself to fight. She just stared as her husband walked towards her.

"Ben, don't! Stop! It's me, Christie!"

_He can't stop._ The White-Silver Dragon said. _Zackwell's control is too strong. We have to break it._

Christie pulled back on her bow and a white arrow appeared at the string, ready to fire as Ben charged at her. The fact that it was her husband forced her to hesitate with shaky hands. When she finally fired, Ben deflected it and got to her before she could make another arrow. He swung at her and she ducked, stunned that he'd actually swung for a kill. He swung again and Christie created an arrow in her hand and swung, cutting Ben's cheek.

Christie had no problem fighting off darkness and evil creatures, but attacking a human was something she was uncomfortable with, and of all the humans in the world, it had to be her husband. The woman stood in utter shock at how she'd actually cut Ben's face intentionally. He put his hand on the wound and glared at her.

_It is not your husband._ The White-Silver Dragon said. _It is only his shell and an evil spirit._

Ben swung again and Christie took to the skies, something Ben could not do. She held her hands over her Dragoon spirit as it began to glow.

"Star Children!" A million tiny stars shot out from nowhere and sliced through the blackened Ben, who cried out with each strike, stinging deep in Christie's heart until she finally called off the attack, unable to bear the sound.

Ben wasn't scarred physically of course, but the darkness had been stirred and angered. Christie had to fight back the tears as she fought once more.

Who was winning? None could tell, for they were preoccupied. Each gave their own powerful blows, but they were all waiting for Christie to make her move. She wished Sean were there to help her out with the Purifier Dragoon he had created when fighting Adam. However, she knew that only he could stand up to Zackwell long enough.

"At least he's not using his Dragoon powers." Christie admitted.

_Of course not._ Her dragon said. _Zackwell's spirit has no influential power over a dragon's. The Red-Eye Dragon is laying dormant, waiting for the true Ben to return._

Christie fired another arrow, but it was deflected again. Finally, Ben had enough. He slid his hand along the flat side of his blade and dark fire erupted across it.

_But...it seems that Zackwell has given Ben his own set of powers._ The dragon sighed. Ben held the sword across his chest, about to emit a wave from it when suddenly, the Red-Eye Dragon shouted out to the White-Silver Dragon.

_Now!_ He cried out. _Help me to act!_ The white dragon relayed the message to Christie, who activated her spirit, which activated Ben's. Bright red fire erupted from the spirit, flowing through Ben's body. He dropped to his knees, crying out in pain.

_Go now! _The white dragon commanded. _The flames will not harm you!_

Christie rushed to the burning figure and put her hands on Ben's head. Her spirit shone brightly, trying to cut through Zackwell's spell.

Zackwell jumped back from Sean's swipe and twirled his scythe, about to make a move. Suddenly, something gripped his heart violently.

"Dah!" he fell to a knee. "What is...?" He turned to the scene with Ben and Christie.

Sean also noticed the lights from the spectacle. "C'mon, Chris, C'mon!"

"No you don't!" Zackwell shot out a hand brimming with darkness. A dark cloud enveloped Ben and restored the evil spirit in him. With a rush of fire, Christie was blown away. Christie dropped her bow in the process and Ben swung his katana about, tearing her apart.

Sean moved to assist her, but Zackwell grabbed him with a dark chain that he created from thin air and pulled him back. Having the light element out of his way would certainly make things easier.

Christie couldn't defend herself to well against Ben's blows. She was able to block the critical hits, but not the punches and kicks. She cried out in pain as another kick landed in her ribs and Ben punched her in the face.

The White-Silver Dragon called out to the other Dragoons, but none could escape their present situation long enough to help her.

Robert tried to move, but Zackwell's son teleported in front of him and released a massive blast, forcing Robert against a crumbling wall, where he slumped to the ground, dazed.

The child turned to watch the scene as Christie was beat and torn left and right. A sadistic grin crept up onto his face. There was no way she would live through this.

With one more blast of power, Ben knocked Christie onto her back. He stood over her.

"Ben..." She whispered weakly. "Please..."

He lifted the blade for the kill.

In that fleeting instant, the incredible happened. A sudden rush of emotion and power overcame Zackwell's son. With a blast of white power, something happened, but could not be seen by the speed.

_CLANG!_

Christie and Ben froze in awe at the sight. A young man, a mid-teenager, crouched over Christie's body, his spear blocking Ben's blade. His skin was smooth and his clothing was white and radiated into the darkness. Two white, feathery wings came from his back and his hair was fine, thin, and white, hanging to his ears.

The young man grunted against Ben's strength for a moment and with an outcry, forced him back. Ben flew with the white energy, slamming into a wall.

This had caught everyone's attention. The battle came to a halt as everyone stared at the wonder. The young man stepped to the side and looked down at the beaten Christie. He looked himself over, seeming shocked, then back down at her.

Those who were close enough could see. His face had the bone structure of Zackwell's, but the smoothness of Christie's. His eyes were the dead giveaway of who he was:

Her son.

The crowd looked over at the other figure. There stood a perplexed clone of the young man in white. This young man, however, wore all black. His feather wings were black and so was his wild hair. His eyes were red and demonic, like Zackwell's. It was as though the dark side and light side of the abomination had been split into two separate beings.

The teen in white stared at its mother in awe. Christie could not help but marvel right back at him. There was something in that moment, in that stare, that would change them both forever.

The young man reached his hand out shakily for hers. Christie began to lift her hand to him. The child's breath was staccatoed as he put his lips together and uttered the tiniest fragment of an "m" sound.

Suddenly, a curved blade tore into his back and came out his belly. Zackwell stood behind him, seething. He spun around, throwing the young man into the darker copy. When they contacted, there were flashes of black and white as they merged together, becoming whole once again. Zackwell extended his hand and black magic danced about the child, filling him with evil strong enough to overcome the good in him. When he opened his eyes again, he was a killer again.

Even so, that one moment spoke volumes to the crowd. However, they were volumes that would have to be read later. Christie took advantage of the silence and grabbed her bow. She created in her hand an arrow that shone brighter than the rest. In it, she poured all her heart, soul, and love into it, causing it to radiate brilliantly. She put the bow to the string.

Anna saw what was happening and quickly fired a small jolt from her fingertips that struck Christie's left arm.

"AH!" She shouted, dropping her bow, but keeping a death grip on the arrow. She tried to reach for the bow again, but saw that her left arm was useless. It had gone numb from Anna's spell. Not about to give up, Christie came up with another plan.

"Brad!" She called. "Hold Ben!"

"Energy Bind!" Brad replied. Violet electrical binds held Ben in place as Christie began to fly to him.

"STOP HER!" Zackwell commanded.

"Rose Storm!" Robert called out, summoning the mightiest wind shield he could conjure and wrapping it around Christie. Sean used his power to enhance the shield's strength. All the enemy attacks came together and the shield shattered, but Christie kept moving. She drew back the arrow.

"From my heart to yours." She said just before she thrust the arrow into Ben's heart. Light erupted from the end of the arrow as it sank into Ben's body as he wailed in pain. White magic surged through Ben's veins as black smoke began to billow. Finally, with a blast of white magic, the evil spirit upon him burst into fragments of darkness with a shriek. The arrow diminished and Ben fell forward into Christie's arms.

"Ben!" She asked frantically, tilting his head back to see his face. His eyes were closed for a moment, but slowly opened. "Ben!"

"Chris?" He mumbled, coming back to his senses. "Are you okay?"

Tears flowing freely, she threw her arms about him, crushing him to her body, overcome with the waves of emotion. Ben was more eager to make sure she was alright, but she insisted that she was and begged to stay in the moment.

The Dragoons let out an enormous sigh of relief, seeing their friend back in the game.

"Alright!" Sean called. "Our part is over. Let's get the heck out of here."

"No one's going ANYWHERE!" Zackwell boomed. The jewel on his chest shone bright red as he spread his hands. From the air around him, eight elemental creatures appeared, poised for battle.

"Bad thing." Ben groaned.

"I think I know what to do." Sean said. "Divine Dragon! Come!" A vortex opened in the sky and the King of Dragons made his grand appearance, roaring to show his might. "Release your dragon companions!" Sean ordered. The Dragon lifted its head high, its eyes all glowing a different dragoon color. With a summoning roar, seven more voids opened in the sky and seven more dragons slid through them.

Sean fired a cannon shot and the elemental warriors scattered. "ATTACK!" Sean commanded the dragons.

The Red-Eye Dragon fired a red beam from his eyes, evaporating the water creature. Likewise, the Blue-Sea Dragon unleashed a stream of water, extinguishing the fire warrior. The Jade Dragon let loose a grand tornado, eroding the earth warrior into nothingness and the Golden Dragon caused a stream of earth to rush up from the ground and overpower the wind warrior. The White-Silver Dragon and Dark Dragon fired beams of their own magic at the warriors of opposite elements and they were decimated. The Violet Dragon snagged the non-elemental warrior in a high-powered electric current eventually destroying him and the Divine Dragon eliminated the thunder warrior with a single powerful shot.

"Next?" Sean asked.

"Chaos Dragon!" Zackwell commanded. "Arise!" The ground burst upward as the dragon made itself seen. The massive monster landed on all fours and roared, shaking the scene.

Zackwell flapped his wings, rising into the air as he crossed his arms and gathered power. The Chaos Dragon inhaled deeply, gathering its own strength. Then, the dragon fired a great ray from its mouth, eliminating seven of the eight dragons. Zackwell swung his arms open and a mighty blast covered all of Mayfil, blowing away everyone, except for two figures.

Sean and his dragon still stood strong, smoke billowing from their scales. The rage dragon was not all that surprised and began powering up another attack as Zackwell's energy billowed about him.

Sean clenched his sword. "You planned for me to undo the Dragoons with my anger. You thought that I would help you win this battle, but you were wrong. I've changed, Zackwell, and I'm seeing a lot clearer."

"Is that so?" Zackwell mused. "Then you can see me destroy you."

"You didn't beat me then, and you won't beat me now."

"YOU THINK SO?" Zackwell and his monster each fired an immense beam of uncharted might. Sean and his dragon held strong against the attacks, but were lost from sight. The other Dragoons regained their wits and fired a beam of their own power to Sean, aiding his situation, but they couldn't see what was going on. As the Chaos Dragon poured more and more power into its attack, Zackwell lifted his arms and summoned his evil warriors. "DESTROY THEM!"

Each person fired their own beams at Sean and the dragon. The clash of powers was enough to shake Mayfil and tear across it. Finally, with one last fell blast, the attack ended and everyone waited. When the haze cleared, two figures still stood, breathing heavily.

Zackwell's eyes burned. "WHY WON'T YOU DIE!" He and his dragon covered themselves in negative energy. The dragon reeled back for a Final Burst attack and launched itself at the Divine Dragon. "Soul Strike!" Zackwell declared, rushing at Sean.

Sean held his sword in a defensive position and the dragon dug its claws into the ground. Normally, the power vested in the dark spirits was enough to cut through their opponents, but this time, they collided with them, pressing hard in an effort to crack their scales and shred them.

"Face it, Zackwell!" Sean grunted. "YOU CANNOT WIN!"

Sean turned his cannon and unleashed his fury and his dragon did the same. A mighty beam overpowered Zackwell and blew him back. As the beam continued to fire, thicker, darker, harder armor covered the end of Sean's cannon and spread across his left arm. It spread across his chest and around his back, covering his entire body. The same armor was covering the Divine Dragon as well, mutating it. Suddenly, the dragon's beam violently increased in power, blowing through the mock dragon, obliterating it.

When the transformation subsided, the Dragoons stared in awe at the Rage Dragoon and the Rage Dragon. He had used the power given to him by his companions to do the transformation.

Zackwell slowly regenerated himself and stared in horror. Again, the old fears ran up and down his spine.

"I've had enough of these clowns." Sean said in a majestic voice. He jumped to the sky and his dragon crouched down, powering its guns. The Dragoons were smart enough to high-tail it out of there. When Sean unleashed his attack, the darkness of Mayfil was cut by a blinding light of great power. Everything was obliterated by it. Sean turned and flew away, catching up with the dragoons just before his power wore off and he fainted in their arms. In the blink of an eye, the Dragoons were gone.

* * *

When Sean finally woke up, he found himself very comfortable. The mattress indented against his body and his head was gently supported by a pillow and the sheets kept him warm and snug. He opened his eyes and gazed about the familiar surroundings. Sunlight streamed through the windows and all was quiet. God, he loved it this way. He was back home, he knew. He was curious to know how he'd gotten there, but he figured the answer was worth waiting for. He was too darn comfy to move.

His family, however, had other plans. With a creak, the door opened, and Sean saw the top of a brown-haired head. "Daddy?" The child whispered.

"Yeah?" He whispered back.

"You 'wake yet?"

Sean couldn't help but chuckle. "Yeah, I'm awake."

"Okay." He turned and hollered at the top of his lungs. "Mommy! Daddy's 'wake!"

Sean cringed at the volume, but laughed all the more. A minute later, he heard footsteps coming in. He recognized the sound.

Melissa walked into the room and jumped into the bed next to him. Sean rolled over and wrapped his arms around her, merging her lips with his.

"Eeeww!" Little Eric's face twisted at his parents' show of affection. Sean just laughed as his hands caressed his wife's body. Eric ran out the door, shouting "Unca Ben! Mommy and Daddy are kissing!"

"Ben!" Sean's head whipped to the door. "Talk about a mood killer."

"And a three-year-old isn't?" Melissa laughed.

Sean scoffed. "It's how I brought him into this world, ain't it?"

Melissa laughed with disgust as she slid out of the bed. "I'll send Ben in here, okay?"

Sean took a deep breath. "Okay."

Melissa exited and a moment later, Ben slowly entered. The two men gazed into each others' eyes for a time.

"Hey." Ben finally said.

"Hey." Sean returned.

"You've been out a while. It's 2 o'clock, you know that? We got back home last night and put you in bed."

"Thanks...how you feelin'?"

"I'm...alright."

Sean dared to ask. "Do you...remember anything from when...?"

"Yeah." Ben breathed deeply at the fresh memories. "I saw everything that happened, but I couldn't stop it. I saw myself...hit Christie...over and over again, but I couldn't stop myself. She says she's forgiven me, but I can't forgive myself. It was a nightmare..." His voice trailed for a bit. Finally, he spoke the words he'd been meaning to say. "You know, Sean...somehow, I never thought I'd be blaming you for taking my life...much less thanking Zackwell for returning it to me."

Sean stared at the bed sheets. "I have no excuses, Ben. I let my anger get the best of me and it cost me my best friend."

Ben began pacing as he talked. "I'm a Dragoon, Sean. I can take a lot of things. Zackwell came back? Sure, I'm up to fighting him again, it's my duty and I stick to it, no matter how many times he comes back. Zackwell doesn't scare me. But you know what does scare me? Seeing my friend fall apart like that. Seeing you returning to everything you swore to avoid and lathering it in anger. When you hit me, I didn't see one shred of the Sean I knew. Do you know what I saw? I saw Zackwell in your eyes! With all that anger you were allowing to control you, you were no better than he was, do you know that!"  
"I do." Sean said. Ben inhaled deeply though his nose and exhaled the same way, calculating his next words.

"However...like I told you, I could see everything while under Zackwell's control. I saw the look in your eyes when you came back for me. When I looked into your eyes that time...I saw my leader again. I saw the Sean that I would follow until death. The anger that had been keeping you at bay was finally being cast aside, I believed."

Sean looked up and portrayed a small smile, then said, "All I can say is that from the heart of your leader and friend, I am truly, deeply sorry. I hope that in the future, my actions will cause no such harm to you or anyone."

"So do I." Ben concurred.

"So...are we okay?"

Ben seemed to consider it and Sean feared the worst. Finally, Ben shed a small grin. "Yeah, I think we're cool."

* * *

The Dragoons met once more at Sean's house to calculate the situation.

"So we're back to square one again, eh?" Mike clarified.

"That seems like the right way to word it." Sean said. "I don't know how we're going to defeat Zackwell and his crew, but at least we're all together again...together and sane, that is."

A small chuckle rippled through the crowd.

"So what's the next move?" Brad asked.

"Sit back." Sean said. "I'm not going to throw you guys into another situation like that. We'll wait for Zackwell to make the first move and we'll counter it in full. Until then, we train harder than ever. Who knows what his plans are?"

"Speaking of that," Brittany piped up, "His master plan, the kid, seems to have a flaw: schizophrenia." They all knew what she meant.

"Yeah, what was that about?" Robert asked. All eyes turned to Christie.

"What!" She asked. "You think I know? I'm just as perplexed as everyone else!"

There was a minute of silence before Mike spoke.

"Juvenile instinct?" He asked. All heads turned to him. "He was protecting his mother."

"But why didn't he do anything like that before?" Melissa asked him.

"The dark side has control, remember? But when he saw that she may actually die, in that instant, he was filled with such emotion that he broke free from the evil even if it was just for a few seconds. It was enough to save Christie and that's what mattered to him."

It was plausible, but still bewildering.

"This kinda changes things, doesn't it?" Brad asked.

"What do you mean?" Sean asked.

"Well, before we thought he was just like another Zackwell, and therefore, another target for us. But now...we've seen the other side of the coin. There's something good in him, a human side."

They all understood, but knew not what to say, and that made the air eerie.

"What do you think, Chris?" Sean asked her. Christie shook her head, overwhelmed.

"I really don't know. You're right, Brad. When he looked at me, I...I saw something I never expected to see from that child. Something good, something...I...I can't really describe it and I don't really know what it is, I...I just don't know." She looked down in frustration and confusion.

"We'll figure it out in due time." Sean said. "Until then, we just train like before."

"Speaking of that," Jenn spoke up, raising her finger to get attention. "I've been doing a lot of thinking. This is all a lot of dangerous stuff and I for one am sick of sitting back, helpless. I know it's not much, but...I want to be able to defend myself should the need arise." She took a step forward. "Sean...could you train me to fight?"

"Do what?" Mike's body spasmed.

Sean cocked his head. "Pardon?"

"I want to learn to fight like you guys so I can at least put up a fight if I need to."

"As do I." Marian stepped forward. "My magic has never been too hot, so I figure I'd better learn some hand-to-hand combat and you taught everyone else, right, Sean? Maybe you could teach us too?"

Sean rubbed his chin, "Well, I _could_, yes, but...are you sure? Ask these guys, I can be a pretty strict teacher. It's not just some cheesy martial arts class, this is survival training. I'll push you harder than you can imagine just because you need to have your limits stretched to what may seem to be an unattainable level. You'll need to grow as quickly as possible, just like these guys did. Are you sure you want to put yourselves through all this?"

Jenn took a deep breath, only slightly unnerved. "I'll be worth it in the long run. I'll do it."

"Me too." Marian said.

"Are you two sure?" Mike had to ask. "If you two get involved, things could get bad."

"At least we stand a chance then." Jenn said.

Mike took a deep breath, uneasy. "Okay." He said.

"We'll meet tomorrow." Sean said. "Two o'clock, go it?" Everyone did. "Then that's that."

The Dragoons said their goodbyes to one another and headed on out. Sean stood at the doorway, watching them leave. It was amazing how much trust they could put into him after all this, but he was glad to have them by his side.

As a chilly wind picked up, a fell voice spoke in Sean's ear.

"You win this round, Dragoon." Zackwell whispered. "But it is only the first. Just you wait to see what I can accomplish, Dragoon. Just you wait..."

Sean shrugged nonchalantly. "Okay." And he walked back inside.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: So things are finally looking up for the Dragoons, but Zackwell still has his mighty group of warriors. It's anybody's game now, so stay tuned to see what happens next! What do you guys think so far?


	9. Pulling out the Stops

OPENING NOTES: Multiple Personalality Disorder. Got it. Thanks.

Chapter Nine: Pulling out the Stops

"Just you wait," Zackwell had said, and wait they would. Sean said himself that he wasn't going to throw his group into danger like that again. If Zackwell wanted a fight, he was going to have to come and get it.

So, they waited for several months. Winter and spring left them as summer took over and there was still no sign of Zackwell. The Dragoons were getting suspicious, but they knew better than to challenge Zackwell again like they had before. They still had no plan on defeating him, but they were getting stronger, so that would help them. Still, who was to say that Zackwell wasn't getting stronger as well?

On their first day of training, Sean took Jenn, Marian, Mike, and Robert to Ulara so that the girls could choose a weapon of their liking and wingly steel was better than any human blade. A dragon's weapon was better still, but the girls didn't have any dragon to give them one, so winglies would do.

Jenn chose to fight with twin daggers with a slight curve in their blades. Also, she asked to be trained secondhand to use a bow and arrow and Sean agreed, for it would balance the girls out a bit.

Marian already had two fronts to fight on: physical and magical. For physical, she chose a halberd after watching her husband use the spear so often. As for magic, Sean said he could try and train her, but that genetics might have a greater hold on her than he could reverse.

Sean had trained all seven dragoons to become good fighters in just two months, so he was making good progress on the two girls. Sean was right, he was very hard on them, just like he had been to everyone else. Once they were properly broken in, the process went much easier. The Dragoons all agreed that it was the initial hump in their progress that killed them, but once they were used to the basics that they could bear it.

Jenn proved to be a very quick fighter with her blades and got somewhat used to dancing about with them, slicing through everything in her way. As for the bow and arrow, she wasn't as good as Christie, but she was getting used to it. It was good that she had a ranged weapon since she could not use magic. The other main problem was that she was grounded, but Mike would provide transportation for her.

Marian was as graceful as any wingly with a weapon and showed true skill in no time at all. As for magic, she was steadily improving. She had already learned a skill that everyone else longed for: teleportation. With her magic, she could vanish and reappear elsewhere. Her range was getting better. Otherwise, she could still fly with her wings of light.

Everyone wondered what Zackwell was up to and why he hadn't returned to finish them off. No one could tell without trespassing on his territory, which the Dragoons were afraid to do. Sean kept reminding them that they would wait for Zackwell to come to them. However, it would the Dragoons that did the traveling after all.

Brittany kicked hard through the water and broke through to the surface. She took a breath and looked around. Spotting the shore, she swam hard. Her professional swimming skill made it an easy task and she was on the beach in no time. She ran to her beach chair and grabbed her watch. She cringed and dried off as fast as she could. Brittany ran and dressed at the same time, ignoring how wet she still might be. She was late, which was never a good idea.

Finally getting most of her clothes back on, Brittany exited the beach and found Brad sitting in his car in the parking lot. He was attempting to call her for the umpteenth time when he spotted her. Brad threw his hands in the air.

"Where were you?"

"I lost track of time, sorry!"

"How?"

"Hey, when I'm in the water, nothing else matters, you know that."

"I know it, but try explaining it to Sean. Man, he's gonna be steamed."

"At the speeds you drive, we'll be there _early_, now hit it!" Brad sped out of the parking lot and zoomed away.

However, Brad and Brittany would again become victims to their thrill seeking selves. They came to a very long bridge that overlooked a deep valley. Brad looked at Brit who nodded her approval. Spirits shining, they transformed into their Dragoon selves.

Brad floored the accelerator as he unbuckled his seat belt. Brittany unbuckled her and stood a bit, extending her hand. A chilly stream of magic rushed from her hand, forming ice along the right side of the bridge a bit down the road. The ice was curved to make a perfect ramp, which Brad aimed right for. With perfect precision, the car flew off the ramp and into the air.

The Dragoons jumped out of their car and Brittany flew below it while Brad grabbed the back. There was a road near the bottom of the valley that they would take. Brittany instantly began making another ice ramp coming up from the road. Brad steered the car from behind, guiding it until it landed on the icy ramp. The car slid down and Brad kept it in place until it hit the road. Brittany snapped her fingers and the ice ramp shattered. The Dragoons got back in their car, laughing it up.

Of course, this road would take much longer than the bridge itself.

"Sean is gonna be so steamed!" Brad laughed.

"Ah, what's the worst he could do?" Brittany questioned.

* * *

"I'm gonna kill them." Sean seethed. He was a man who demanded punctuality. The only reason those two would be late was if they were dawdling. He turned back to the match. Ben was giving Jenn a test of her new skill. He swiped with his blade, but she jumped back, then forward, swinging at him. Ben spun low, swinging his leg around, tripping her. Ben rolled and put his sword to her throat.

"You're dead." He said.

"Yeah, yeah, get off me." She grumbled, getting up.

"Alright, not bad." Sean said. "Okay...since Brad and Brittany _still_ aren't here, Melissa and Marian, you two are next."

Suddenly, there was a rustle in the bushes. Brad and Brittany came through into the clearing, chuckling.

"Well, well, well, look who finally showed up." Sean crossed his arms, as he always did when demonstrating leadership superiority. "Where were you two?"

"Traffic was horrible." Brad said.

"Must've been a three-car pileup or something!" Brittany added.

"You went off the bridge again, didn't you?" Sean interpreted.

"Yeah." Brad admitted.

"Kinda." Brittany furthered.

"How many times have I told you not to do that?" Sean asked.

"Including this time?" Brittan calculated. "Five."

Sean gave them both a look. "Laps."

"How many?" Brad asked.

"Did I give a number? LAPS!"

The couple started jogging and Sean shook his head. "What am I going to do with those two? Alright. Marian and Melissa. You two ready?"

They both nodded.

"Go!"

They circled on another for a moment before Melissa jumped at her opponent. Marian rolled away and blocked a spinning kick. She stabbed, but Melissa moved and kicked her back. They squared off again.

Suddenly, Marian dropped her spear and fell to her knees, clutching the sides of her head.

"AAHH!" She wailed.

Everyone jumped.

"Marian?" Robert stepped forward. "What is it?"

Her fingernails dug into the sides of her head, scraping badly, but it wasn't nearly as bad as the pain she was feeling on the inside.

Melissa rushed to her. "What is it, Marian?"

"Screams..." She whimpered. "Wingly screams..."

"Wingly screams?" Sean caught. "From Ulara?"

"They're echoing all the way here...calling to me." Marian cringed as the emotions and cries rushed over her body once again violently. "Ulara...it's...under attack!"

"Attack?" Several Dragoons repeated.

"By what!" Ben asked her.

"I'm not sure...some...dark army...an undead army!" She looked up at them all with frantic eyes.

"Zackwell's army." Sean translated. "He's attacking Ulara instead of us."

"He can't possibly win." Melissa shook her head.

"He's not alone this time, remember? He has all our other problems with him."

"They're in trouble." Marian continued. "Caron is calling for aid."

"We have to help them!" Christie said it, but everyone was thinking it. The winglies were their friends and allies who were always there for them and now it was time to repay their loyalty.

"Let's go then." Sean said. "It'll take a couple hours to get there-let's hurry!"

"Should we go?" Jenn asked, meaning herself and Marian.

"I have to go!" Marian jumped to her feet. "Ulara was my home."

"Done." Sean nodded.

"What about me?" Jenn asked.

"I don't know." Mike said. "Zackwell's army isn't something to be toyed with."

"Let her come." Sean said. "That army is the least of what we'll be fighting. Let's move!"

Eight humans morphed into eight Dragoons and with a wingly and human in their arms, they flew off as fast as their wings would carry them.

* * *

The Dragoons were desperate and grew increasingly so with every passing minute. The trip to Ulara took about two hours and the Dragoons were worried about the state of the city. They often reassured one-another that Ulara could not be easily destroyed; the winglies were very powerful and could defend themselves well.

That's what they thought.

Upon reaching the city, they saw that the cloak surroundingit was not active, so the Dragoons saw the battle in progress.

The hovered in the air, staring down in horror. The beautiful Spring Breath Town was torn apart. Buildings, once majestic, were now crumbling in ruin. Babbling brooks of the purest water were poisoned with the blood of the fallen. Lush, green, forests, were lit aflame and among it all were the screams of pain and terror.

Zackwell's zombie army was deep in combat with the winglies, who stood a surprisingly small chance among these warriors. They were dark, demented, and violent. They stopped at nothing to kill and destroy. Even so, the winglies stood their ground among their falling comrades, fighting to their bitter, painful deaths.

The Dragoons were washed with a sense of shock, horror, and sadness. Those feelings were quickly supplanted by anger, pure rage at what was taking place.

"Kill 'em all." Sean seethed and they rushed down into battle. Sean had been on low power during the flight and stayed that way for maximum mobility. He flew right down into the fray and slammed his sword into the ground, creating an immense shockwave that caught the attention of all around. Sean stood tall, brandishing his blade.

"C'mon." He sneered. "I dare you." They agreed.

Sean saw a four of them ahead. They turned and saw him and raised their various weapons. Sean blocked one zombie's sword and kicked it out of his hand and decapitated him. Sean grabbed the zombie's sword and used them both the block the next one's axe. He kicked him in the stomach and spun around, slicing his head off. The next had a spear and tried taking off his head, but Sean lodged the zombie sword into his stomach and grabbed the spear and threw it into the final zombie.

Ben cut through one zombie and ducked under the blade of the next. This zombie was faster than the other and kept Ben on his toes for a minute. Ben turned to take off, but an axe-wielding zombie came at him. It swung horizontally. Ben ducked and the axe went right through the one that had been in front of him. Then Ben shoved his sword through the axe-wielder's stomach. Ben heard a twang and an arrow shot past his head. He turned and saw a zombie shooting arrows at him. It drew another and Ben thought fast. He grabbed one of the fallen corpses and held it in front of him. The arrow struck the body and the tip pointed out the other side, just barely missing Ben. Then he dropped the corpse and grabbed the dagger at his side and threw it at him. The dagger landed right between the zombie's eyes.

Robert planted his spear in the ground and flipped over, landing on a zombie, then he stabbed it. Robert rolled off and cut through another. He looked up and saw three more coming at him. He held he spear horizontally and spun around like a top, cutting through them all. Then he threw his spear at another one.

A zombie swung his sword at Brad, who jumped in the air and kicked off his chest, knocking him into two others. Brad shot a thunderbolt at them. The bolts thrashed through the zombies, and they slumped down dead. Brad moved out of the way of a vertical axe strike and got behind the zombie and snapped his neck. Then Brad ducked under another sword and swung a punch, catching its stomach, then flipping him over his head and slamming him head-first into the ground.

Mike blocked a sword strike with his axe, then swung it, chopping the zombie's head off. One swung his spear, but Mike moved and tripped him, then slammed his axe into him. Mike turned around and threw his tomahawk at a zombie coming at him. Then he turned around and knocked another one away with a mighty swing of his axe. Another axe-wielder came at him, but he blocked, then kicked him back and chopped through him.

Melissa struck a zombie in the stomach, then pulled back and swung her rapier through its neck. Another zombie swung at her with a sword, but she ducked and stabbed him in the head. A zombie raised his axe and Melissa jumped away just in time. Its axe was stuck and Melissa jumped onto it and stood on her hands and grabbed its head with her feet and snapped its neck. Then she rolled off and sliced through another one.

Christie fired an arrow at an oncoming zombie, then at another. A third seemed to come out of nowhere and swung his sword. Christie leaned back and used the arrow to cut through it. She looked up and saw two zombies coming at her, one on either side, swords pointed at her. No time to grab an arrow, so she did the splits and ducked her head and the two zombies ran right into each other. Then, she grabbed another arrow and fired it at a zombie.

Brittany leapt over a sword and bashed the zombie back with her hammer. She turned to another and swung her mallet underneath it, bashing its stomach, causing it to lean forward, so she twirled her hammer back around and bashed its hear, knocking it onto its stomach, and crushing its brain. A zombie swung its axe, but she moved and kept twirling and smashed its head. Then she ran at another and put the head of her hammer on the ground and pushed herself into the air and shot both legs out, kicking it. Then she rolled over and landed back on the ground and bashed the zombie.

Marian was filled with the deepest fury at these creatures and held nothing back. She twirled her halberd all about her body, slicing through anything that dared come within a few feet of her. She stylishly sliced through the torso of a zombie, then spun the blade over her head to strike the face of another and kicked the zombie behind her. Using her wingly magic, Marian slammed her halberd into the ground and ran along a line of zombies, then landed and spun, emitting a wave of magic that cut through them all.

Jenn stood nervous as they enemy rushed at her. The first one had a sword and it swung at her. Jenn ducked like she'd been taught, holding her daggers with the blades pointing behind her and pulled her left hand back, stabbing it, then reached over her head to stab it in the head. Jenn spun into a second killing stab, then kicked another zombie back a step so she could stab it and the one next to her. As the enemies rushed at her, Jenn jumped up and kicked off the impaled zombies, flipping and landing on her feet to her own amazement.

The chaos was unending. The zombies were destroying everything they came in touch with. Sean ducked under an axe and ran his blade clean through the wielder of it, still brimming with stamina. He heard a roar and looked up to see a zombie leaping from a rooftop. Then, a white beam lanced through it, killing it before it hit the ground. Sean turned to the source and saw Caron standing there, a spear in her hand, a warrior's garment on her body, and trouble in her eyes.

"Thank heavens you finally made it." She said.

"Are you alright?" Sean asked.

"I am fine, but...look at this place..."

Sean did. Winglies were dying by the second.

"They came without warning." Caron said. "They marched right in, unhindered by our cloak, and started their slaughter. We tried to fight them, of course, buy they are...very strong. We couldn't hold them off, so we called you."

Sean nodded. "And we're here. Now, let's finish the job." His Dragoon Spirit shone and he converted to full power, summoning the Dragoons about him.

"Let's take these guys out. NOW!" Sean jumped into the air, gathering his strength. The panel on his left shoulder opened up, revealing the gun turrets underneath. They each glowed, brimming with power that shook Sean's arm.

"Divine Dragon Ball!" He unleashed his power, shooting a barrage of power balls, each erupting violently upon contact with anything.

Ben and Robert teamed up in one of their favorite moves. Robert held his spear horizontally, spinning rapidly on one foot while green gales spun about him, focused and razor-sharp. The gales widened about him, slicing through the zombies, but that was only the beginning. Ben held his katana above his head as fire wrapped about it. Ben pointed his blade at the deadly tornado and unleashed the flames. They jumped to the tornado and were spread rapidly by the speedy winds. The tongues of flame wrapped around Robert's tornado, covering it in fire. A tremendous blaze was quickly ignited, forming a column of flame that touched the sky and scorched the earth.

Brittany's spirit shimmered immensely as her powers grew within her body and armor. Utilizing the brim of her magic, Brittany summoned a great tidal wave that rushed over the enemy army, tossing them about. Within the water, a trap waited. Brad stood solid against the waves that could not rock him. His spirit shone and he unleashed his might. Electricity lanced all about the water, electrocuting everything within, frying the zombies.

Mike flew high into the air and then shot straight down, crashing into the earth. For a moment, the land was silent. Then, it began to rumble as cracks formed under the zombies' feet. With a burst of energy, Mike shot up through the ground, taking the earth with him. The land erupted, blasting the zombies into the air. In the sky, Melissa made her move. Using her Demon's Gate magic, Melissa opened a black void that drew in all the zombies that were flailing in the air from Mike's attack. When they were all trapped inside, Melissa waved her hand and the gate closed, trapping them forever.

A symbol shone on Marian's forehead. Marian waved her hand about the air, creating a wingly symbol in front of herself. When it was complete, she waved her hand and the symbol glowed, shining its light upon Christie, enhancing her powers. Christie unfurled her wings and light radiated from them, burning the flesh of the Mayfil-born zombies. With screeches of pain, the zombies were eradicated by the blinding light.

The Dragoons had done well in eliminating a great number of the zombies, though there were many remaining. They gathered around Caron again.

"Where's Zackwell?" Sean demanded. "He'll pay for this!"

"He's not here." Caron said.

"Not here!" Sean repeated. "What do you mean he's not here? How could this army do so much damage without him?"

"Yeah." Ben piped up. "What happened to Halonorie or the other winglies that helped us with our magic last time? Those guys are way to powerful to be killed by this army!"

"They were the first to die." Caron said sadly.

"How?"

"They are powerful, yes, and we thought that they, as well as our city, stood a chance against even Zackwell...but it was not Zackwell that surprised us...it was his son."

"That brat!" Sean exclaimed. "He did all this!"

"He surprised Halonorie and his team, eliminating them in minutes. He sensed the strongest winglies in the city and destroyed them with his bare hands..."

"And then he let the army do the rest." Sean finished.

"Something like that."

"I knew the kid was powerful," Ben spoke up, "But powerful enough to sneak up on Halonorie, much less kill him and his other winglies so easily?"

"His powers are indeed stunning." Caron said. "One of the reasons we cried out for help."

"We gotta find the kid." Sean said. "Where is he?"

Brad tapped Sean's shoulder and pointed to the left. "Right over there."

All eyes turned to see the developing young man striding towards them. His muscles had improved a bit and his form was tougher. Black veins protruded from his right arm and the right side of his face. He seemed much darker as he walked to the Dragoons, spear in hand, ready to kill as he had been killing all day.

"I think all of us can handle him." Sean proposed.

"Wait." Christie stopped him. "Let me go to him."

"You're kidding, right?" Ben said what everyone was thinking.

"Remember what happened last time?" Christie asked. "Maybe something like that will happen again."

"Christie, we don't know that." her husband protested.

"Let her go." Sean said, surprisingly enough. "It's the only real theory we have."

Ben was hesitant, but he knew Sean was right. Christie walked towards the child, her hands gripping her bow tightly. The child didn't change his expression even though its mother was heading out first.

Christie stopped walking and so did the child, standing about fifteen feet from each other. Both foes stared each other down, daring the other to make the first move. After seconds of agonizing silence, Christie stunned her friends. She put her bow on the ground and stood back up, weaponless.

The child cocked his head, an obvious sign of obvious confusion.

"What is she doing?" Ben gripped the sides of his head.

Sean wasn't sure, but he was beginning to regret sending Christie out there. She just waited.

The child stared, dumbfounded, then acted. Whipping his hand out, he fired a great black beam from it. Christie shot her own hand up, blocking the beam with her own power. It was a strain, but she did it. The attack cleared and, seeing that his target still lived, the child fired again, harder this time. Christie's legs and arms strained as she fought to stay in place.

Seeing that this was getting him nowhere, the child changed plans. He brandished his spear.

Christie gulped. "Ben?" She called. "Whatever happens...don't move, okay?"

"What are you talking about!"

"Just...trust me, okay?"

Ben analyzed the situation and slowly shook his head. "There's no way she's risking this."

In that moment, the child ran at her at full speed. Christie closed her eyes. _No! Keep them open! He had to see!_ She opened them again and fought to keep them that way as the child rushed right up to her and stabbed at her exposed midriff.

"CHRISTIE!" Ben exclaimed.

A small prick was all she felt, for the spear went no further. Christie felt her heart skip a beat, but tried not to show it.

The cross-breed boy stood with the spear tip at her belly, arms twitching and face straining. He was struggling to thrust the blade right into her gut, but something inside was pulling back with all its might. The child drew the spear back and thrust again, but stopped in the exact same spot, struggling, desperate to get further.

Christie put her hand on that of the young man's and his body froze. She gently eased the spear away, his hand still clutching it in a death grip, aching to use it.

"Look at me." She told him. The child refused, staring at the ground. Christie furthered her attempt. She slid off the white armored glove on her right hand and gently touched the side of his face. She could feel the shiver run up his spine. The spear dropped from his hand and a second later, he fell to his knees, his breathing heavy and labored. Sweat dripped from his face. Her attempt seemed to be working.

"Look at me." She commanded again. Christie put her finger under his chin and slowly eased his gaze up to meet hers. Once more, just like last time, there was that look in his eyes.

It was not a glare of evil and hatred like he had shown her so many times. This time, it was a plea. Trapped inside a body of evil, the light side of him cried out to be set free, begging for her help. Christie saw the depth of his eyes, the innocence in them. A child awaited within them, longing for its mother.

Just that look sent strange emotions rushing through Christie's body, as it had before. This child had been their enemy for so long that all she could ever think about was destroying him, but now...see saw the other side of him, the good side that she could never destroy in cold blood. It was a side of herself, a human. Once, she felt a hatred for the being, but for this one side, the human part, she felt a strange affection, like that which she felt for Mark, her other son. She felt the emotions of a mother.

Christie slid her hand from his chin to his cheek and to her surprise, the child turned his face slightly to meet the hand. She could feel him pressing against her hand, aching for just that one loving touch. Even more surprising, she saw a single tear slide down the left side of his face as he looked back into her eyes.

Christie's eyes began to water as well, but she fought back against the tears, torn by the mixed emotions. She still wasn't quite sure what she was feeling.

Suddenly, the child's face became nervous. His eyes widened suddenly and his left hand shot out. A wave emitted from it, not hurting Christie too much, but knocking her back. Zackwell's blade stabbed into the ground she had just been standing on. Zackwell rolled with the impact of attacking from nowhere and got back to his feet. He grabbed his son by the collar of his vest and teleported them both away.

"NO!" Christie pounded a fist into the ground, overcome with a sudden, inexplicable emotion. She could not remove her eyes from the cobblestone street underneath her. "I was so close..." She had connected, that was certain, but then it wasn't enough...

Christie felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Ben kneel down next to her.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"I don't know." She shook her head.

Sean watched the two of them talk for a bit. Everyone else had gone back to the battle. "Christie." He finally spoke. "I'm gonna need your help in clearing out these zombies."

Christie's spirit shimmered as her powers left her. She took her spirit off its necklace and tossed it to Sean. "Take it."

Sean caught it, but couldn't help notice the nonchalance in her voice. He ignored it for now and activated her Dragoon Spirit through his. Bright light erupted around him, The Divine Dragon amplifying the powers of the White-Silver Dragon. Sean's armor morphed and changed to pure white. Crystal spikes topped his pouldrons that glowed in the sunlight.

He jumped into the air and drew in the power.

"Purifier Dragon!" He called. "Come!"

A great light tore a rip in the sky and opened wider and wider as a figure emerged. A combined dragon formulated in the light and crept out. It was massive, about the size of the Divine Dragon with eight eyes, eight wings, and crystal blades along its back and shoulders. Its skin was white and shone like the sun. The zombies below were already feeling the burn.

Dragon and Dragoon powered themselves up. The crystals on their bodies began to glow.

"Heaven Storm!" They declared. White energy crystals shot from the larger crystals and flew around the battle scene. The light erupted on contact, burning every zombie it touched. Screams quickly filled the air as the light assault continued to pulverize the weakening zombie forces.

Sean and his dragon continued their attack for a full minute, making sure to eradicate every last zombie on the scene. When they were all gone, the assault stopped and the dragon vanished. There was an eerie silence.

Sean flew back to the ground and changed back into human form, weary from prolonging the attack for so long. He looked around and saw the dragoons gathering around Caron. He walked to them. The wingly empress was sitting with her back against a wall, the weight of the world on her shoulders. The cries of winglies could still be heard throughout the city. She wished so badly that she could shut them out, but even if she could, she was obligated not to.

"Caron?" Melissa was kneeling next to her. "Are you alright?"

She shook her head. "I don't think I'll ever be alright again. Our city is destroyed and our people nearly decimated." Tears were welling in her eyes. "I have lost many friends today..."

"Ms. Caron!" A wingly guard rushed to her. "Ma'am, are you alright?"

"Physically, yes, but emotionally..." Her voice trailed.

No one knew any words of comfort. This was no skirmish. The winglies had been nearly obliterated, leaving only a few hundred tops when there had once been thousands. They had only survived with the help of the Dragoons, but they would be destroyed with one more assault. They had lost severely. Sean looked around, wondering if this was what Pearl Harbor must have felt like.

Caron spoke to no one in particular. "Our people are crippled, our forces depleted, our city in shambles...our hope is lost."

The guard tried to keep his composure. "We will follow your lead, ma'am." It was a small comfort, he knew, but a comfort, nevertheless.

Caron looked at the ground, dismayed. "We cannot stand another assault...there is only one thing to do..." She looked him in the eyes. "Give the evacuation order, quickly."

"Ma'am." The soldier nodded, he flew off, spreading the word.

"You're leaving?" Brad translated.

"We must." Caron said. "We cannot live here any longer."

"Where will you go?" Brittany asked.

"The Secret Refuge?" Marian asked. Caron nodded.

"Where's that?" Robert asked.

"I trust you all dearly," Caron said, "But I cannot tell you. Zackwell's eyes are very watchful and his ears wary."

"Caron," Sean spoke up. "What's happened while we were away?"

Caron recalled the events. "Zackwell has spread like a wildfire across these ancient lands. He's made himself known, setting up forts and strongholds across the map." She looked Sean in the eyes. "Mayfil has been rebuilt in full and then some. Zackwell's Black Castle sits in the center of it, where he conducts his dark business, creating evil armies and furthering his power. He creates his territory wherever he wants because there are none to oppose him, so he gets stronger with every passing day. The further his kingdom expands, the worse the situation becomes. On top of that, the more people that die, the more people Zackwell has for his dark army. Even those who are defeated he can recreate. His army will never stop expanding and Zackwell himself cannot die. His reign of terror will continue, covering this earth in darkness...all is lost."

Sean could not believe the words coming from Caron's mouth. "All is not lost!"

"Maybe if you had returned earlier, I might agree...but now I think it may be too late for even you."

The words sunk deep. The Dragoons had been so preoccupied about keeping themselves safe that they hadn't thought about the rest of the world. They hadn't kept a watchful eye open outside their own borders and now they were facing the penalties.

"We should have been watching..." Sean muttered.

"It is too late for such talk." Caron shook her head. "That is why we must leave. We'll make for our hidden refuge and plan our next move there. We shall keep ourselves hidden and try to survive. I'm sorry, Sean. We cannot help you anymore."

"I guess it's fair." Sean said, his own words stinging him. "We weren't there to protect you."

* * *

The Dragoons did everything they could to aid the winglies as they gathered what was left for their departure. Everywhere they went, they saw families torn apart by war. Winglies lay dead in the streets and the streets themselves were bathed in blood. They could barely find one building that was left standing. Amongst the rubble, crushed bodies were found, adding to the rising death toll.

Crying, healing, searching, moving, and salvaging were the activities of the day that lasted well until sunset. The evacuation was very quick because there just wasn't much left. The winglies activated their wings one last time and flew away with one last goodbye.

The Dragoons watched them all fly away into the sunset. When they were gone, it was just the ten of them, standing alone in the ruined city that had once been a safe place for them. The silence was frightening and they knew that things would never be the same again for them.

Marian was still in tears at the destruction of all she'd known for centuries before coming to the human worlds. Robert was attempting to comfort her. Christie was still distraught about the events with her son. She was laying her head on Ben's head. Jenn was overwhelmed by her first battle and overloaded with emotions. Mike had his comforting arm around her. Brad and Brittany gazed about the devastation, hands intertwined. They had a new appreciation for life and the things they knew. Sean still stared in the direction that the winglies had disappeared into. Melissa walked up behind him and slid her arm into his and he accepted it. She made her way under his arm and wrapped it about herself. Sean held her snugly.

Not a word was spoken for so long a time.

At long, long last, the silence was broken by Brittany's distaste for long pauses and the question burning in her throat.

"Now what?"

Another silence.

"Zackwell has gotten pretty darn powerful, it seems." Jenn said. "A massive empire, countless soldiers, plus Melbu, Darteth, and his son."

"Speaking of his son," Robert spoke up, "What happened with that?"

"I got close." Christie muttered, "But Zackwell interfered."

"You must have been using some pretty strong magic to make him act like that." Ben mused.

Christie shook her head. "I didn't use magic."

"What?"

"I just did what any affectionate parent would do?"

"Affectionate?" Rob repeated.

"I don't know." Christie said, her gaze returning to the ground. "I saw the good in him again today...you saw for yourselves that there are two sides to him, like two creatures occupying one body. The good side wants to get out so badly...I want to help."

All eyes turned to her.

"How do you propose we do that?" Robert asked.

"I got pretty far today. Maybe I can do it again."

"Christie..." Ben began.

"I freed _you_, didn't I?" She yelled unintentionally. "Maybe I can free him too! I don't know if I can, but after seeing that look he gave me today, I can't just sit back and let him suffer. I have to try!"

"Okay!" Ben surrendered, unwilling to argue the matter. Christie calmed herself.

"Zackwell attacked the winglies because of how they've aided us." Sean finally spoke. "They were our allies and thus his target. His next one will be us, the humans."

"We should warn people." Melissa suggested.

"I'm going to call the Colonel tonight. Other than that, I think we have to start acting again. Caron was able to give me a current map of Zackwell's territories, so maybe we can figure out a plan."

"It's the only idea we have." Mike said.

Marian spoke up. "I don't want to stay around her any longer."

"Neither do I." Sean said. "Let's go home." They transformed once more and flew away. They tried to remember Ulara as a paradise, but the battle scene was burned too deeply into their minds.

* * *

_Black Castle, Mayfil..._

"Do you know what happened today?" Zackwell asked, pacing back and forth in front of his son. "You lost control! That's the second time this has happened!" He stopped in front of the boy and grabbed his jaw. "Is he stronger than you!"

The boy shook his head under Zackwell's grip.

"Is _she_ stronger than you!"

He shook his head again.

"Then what HAPPENED?"

He was silent. Zackwell shoved him back, frustrated. "Do not let it happen again." he turned back to Anna, Darteth, and Melbu. "The winglies are out of our way."

"Sure was easy." Darteth said.

"Of course it was. My son is very powerful. The winglies didn't stand a chance."

"Neither will the humans." Melbu Frahma added. "Now, we can finally make them pay."

"In due time, Melbu." Zackwell calmed him. "In due time..."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: So the winglies are defeated and Zackwell's power has grown, but his son is still battling with his two selves. What will become of it all? Kind of distraught now, but good things to come in the next chap. Stay tuned and please review!


	10. A Mother's Love

Chapter Ten: A Mother's Love

Sean laid out the map Caron had given to them before the winglies left.

"Okay…yeesh. Caron was right. Zackwell's got places everywhere."

"So where do we start?" Ben asked.

"I have no idea. Man…how did he expand so much in such short time?"

"Endless supply of help." Melissa said. "Think of all the people who have died on Earth. He can use those he's kept for a huge army, and, statistically, somebody dies every three seconds."

"So we have to find some way to stop that process." Christie said.

"Well, I'm open to any suggestions." Sean said.

"We should probably go right to the source: Mayfil city." Ben suggested.

"You mean the Black Kingdom?" Robert put in."Look at the place! It's huge!"

"Yeah, how do we get through that thing?" Brad asked.

"I'm not so sure we can." Sean said with a sigh. "Let's check out the other places. Maybe there's something we can wipe out that can hurt them."

"So we look for suppliers and stuff." Jenn said.

"Right." Sean replied. "Okay, now, let's find a place like that."

"Here." Brad said, pointing to a spot without hesitation. "According to the notes on the side, it's one of the biggest suppliers to almost every other city, including the Black Kingdom. If we wipe it out, it'll slow them down, giving us a chance to wipe out other places faster, soon leading up to the Black Kingdom itself."

Everyone stared at him.

"Listen," Ben said, "If you want to be a genius, keep it to yourself so the rest of us don't feel like idiots, OK?"

"I'm sorry. I'll try to keep in mind the fact that you're slower than I am."

"That's all I ask."

"Anyway," Sean said, "He's right. We'll take that place out first. Let's go." He took the map and the Dragoons left. And Zackwell disappeared from his hiding spot in the shadows.

* * *

"Alright," Sean said as they all flew. "Here's the deal. Don't bother going after every single zombie. Just destroy the city. Once I give the word, we're out of there, no questions asked. Christie."

"Yes?"

"Stay sharp. You're the only one who can stop Z.S."

"Z.S.?" Mike asked.

"Zackwell's son."

"Ah. Catchy!"

"Try to stop him, but if we have to go, we have to go."

"Got it."

It was a long flight to the city, and rest was short. Mike had to carry his wife the whole way. Then, there came the question of how to go in. The stealth approach was doomed to failure, so it seemed the best way was a full assault.

After hours of flying, the city came in sight.

"Man, that place is huge!" Brad said.

"Don't let it get to you." Sean encouraged. "Do all the damage you can."

"You mean go crazy?" Ben asked.

"Yeah, I do."

"Sweet!"

When they were close enough, every Dragoon powered up and released their dragons, which did the same.

"Alright," Sean said. "Hold steady…steady…FIRE!"

But before they could, six blasts came out of nowhere. Four were light, darkness, fire, and water, but the other two were non-elemental magic blasts. The first four took out the dragons of the opposite elements, and the other two knocked out the wind and earth dragons.

"Wha?" Sean exclaimed, and then Zackwell shot out at him. Sean ducked just in time, but the Divine Dragon was shredded. Then Zackwell came back and tore through the Violet Dragon.

"Is that the best you've got?" Zackwell laughed. "You couldn't even see us coming!"

"I should've known you'd show up, but still, I have to ask, how did you know?"

"I know all, haven't you heard? This world is mine."

"Fat chance. Alright, everyone! This changes nothing! Destroy everything in your path! Wipe this city out!"

"Go ahead and try!" Zackwell shouted. Then he charged in attack. The others went forward, but Sean and Ben stayed back to fight Zackwell.

A second scythe appeared in Zackwell's other hand as he prepared to fight double. Sean and Ben both struck and Zackwell blocked both and counted, but missed. Sean and Ben quickly combined their powers and fired a burning blast, but Zackwell blocked with both scythes. Both his blades glowed blue and he poured immense power into them.

"Soul Strike!" He swung both weapons and a blue beam wave fired out and cut through both of them. They fell to the ground. Zackwell laughed. "Good foes are hard to come by, but you've proven yourselves a challenge. Now, the game's up." He walked to Ben first. "I gave you your chance, but you're too thickheaded to listen to reason!" He raised his scythe.

BOOM! An explosion at his feet sent Zackwell flying into the air. Ben smiled.

"For one who can see all, you sure are blind! You didn't even see me set off that attack?" And the flames strengthened Ben and he stood and tossed his sword into the air and two fireballs formed in front of him. "FLAMESHOT!" Ben punched both fireballs into Zackwell, but spread them out just far enough for him to move his arms away to block. Ben caught his sword and ran forward, blasting through his opening.

Zackwell reformed and turned around. "You little-"But Zackwell was cut off by the Divine Dragon Cannon shooting through his back. Sean smiled.

"This is getting easier."

Zackwell regenerated again. "All too true." His eyes glowed and flashed their invisible attack at each Dragoon, blasting off chunks of their armor. Then each scythe turned into a chain, which wrapped around either man and he pulled them together and bound them tight. Zackwell breathed out black smog on both of them. The demon grinned and snapped his fingers. The smoke exploded like a bomb. Zackwell cracked his neck.

"Game, set, match."

"Wing Blaster!" Robert shouted, unleashing a windy bird that crashed through a tower and the zombies inside. He turned his windy magic to the zombies, cutting through a row of them before a black beam scalded him.

Darteth jumped up and kicked Robert to the ground. He moved in for another strike, but a magical blast singed him. He looked up in fury at Marian.

"I cannot believe you've joined in on this." Darteth spat. "Is it because of your wingly friends being destroyed?"

"Partly." She hissed, firing another white beam. Darteth jumped back...right into Robert's spear. Robert flipped him over his head and shot a green beam from his spear tip as Marian tore through him with a white beam of her own.

Darteth landed in pain and glared at them. "I'll kill you both!" He threatened.

"Bring it on!" Robert and Marian both shouted.

Brittany made it her business to take on Anna. Anna struck first with a magical wave, which Brittany blocked, due to her incredible magical defense. She swung with her mallet and Anna dodged and struck back. Brittany flipped up, avoiding the move and kicking off Anna's back, then bashing her over the head. Anna shook it off and just barely ducked under another attack, but Brittany swung again, knocking her down to the ground.

Anna swung twice and Britt blocked. Anna powered up a fiery attack.

"Prepare to die!"

But then, a blade landed in the back of her head and she fell to her face. Jenn stared at the dead body in awe.

"God forgive me."

"He will." Brittany said. "War isn't pretty...which is why us gals have to perk it up."

Jenn laughed, then heard a roar. She turned around and avoided a zombie sword, then stabbed through him.

"Let me handle this." Brittany said. She protected Jenn in a blue bubble, and then shouted, "Tsunami!" An immense wave came out of nowhere and wiped out a ton of zombies, as well as many buildings.

Mike and Brad were taking on Melbu Frahma. Brad was the magical defender, while Mike was the physical defender. Melbu fired a beam and Brad dodged, letting the beam destroy part of the city. Melbu tried again, but again missed, destroying what he was trying to defend.

"Man, Melbu, you're doing all our hard work for us!" Brad laughed.

Melbu snarled and ran at him swinging his blade. Brad dodged, and then cast a bolt of lighting on him. Melbu stumbled forward and Mike bashed him onto this back.

Mike noticed that the building destruction wasn't making much progress.

"Yo, Brad. Hold Melbu for a while, will ya?"

"You got it."

Mike raised his axe high up. "Earthquake!" Then he dropped, striking his axe into the ground. The earth began rumbling. Building shattered and crumbled onto the flight-deprived zombies. Melbu got up and tried running to stop him, but Brad held him back with his Energy Bind. Melbu put more and more energy into breaking through the binds, but Brad kept his grip. Finally, Melbu got smart. Instead of fighting against him, Melbu leapt back, catching Brad by surprise. Melbu grabbed hold of him and threw him at Mike at incredible speed. They collided and flew across the battlefield and the earthquake stopped.

Melissa and Christie squared off with Zackwell's son, or Z.S. as Sean called him. He shot two blasts, one from either hand, of either power. The girls dodge and Christie fired an arrow. The way Z.S. deflected it with his spear quickly reminded her of the uselessness of such an attack.

Melissa stabbed at him, but he bent to the side to avoid it and swung at her. Melissa blocked the attack with her armored arm and struck again. Z.S. teleported away and reappeared behind her, kicking her to the side. Suddenly, he deflected another arrow, nearly missing it. Christie fired a white beam from her hand the instant he did so and he was burned by it.

Z.S. hissed and shot a black beam back at her. Melissa got in the way and absorbed the attack. The child sneered, but powered up another beam of the same element.

"He's probably gonna fake us out." Melissa said. "Christie, get ready."

But Z.S. didn't fake out at all. He fired the beam he had advertised, allowing Melissa to absorb the darkness. At first, the girls were confused by the child's actions, but soon realized the problem.

Melissa strained to keep her ground. Her body was being overcharged with a torrent of darkness.

"Too much…" Melissa grunted. "I can't hold it…"

Christie saw this problem and addressed it quickly. She jumped into the air again and dove at Z.S., shining arrow in hand. Z.S. released his hold on Melissa and jumped back to avoid the strike, then negated the arrow with his dark magic.

Melissa wished to help, but found herself unable to stand up straight, overwhelmed by the supercharge. She had to expel it somehow. Suddenly, a hand spun her around and grabbed her by the throat.

"It looks like you overcharged yourself." Zackwell smirked. "Poor, pathetic human. You can't hold much power…let me take some off your hands. Extraction!"

Melissa cried out as her dark powers were sapped from her body rapidly.

Christie heard the cry and turned to her. "Melissa!" She tried to aid her friend, but Z.S. caught her torso in a black cord and threw her over his head, laughing.

Zackwell closed his eyes as he felt incredible strength flow throughout him. After a while, Melissa finally stopped yelling and squirming, due to the lack of energy and life, and hung limp in his grasp. Zackwell dropped her and let out a roar and looked at Christie. She put an arrow to the string and held it there. Her head shot back and forth between each of them. They flinched constantly, just to freak her out.

"What's the matter?" Zackwell taunted. "Scared because you can't figure out who will strike first? Could it be me? I'm pretty fast! Or maybe it'll be him! Ooh! Look at those fake-outs! Or maybe, just maybe, we'll both attack at once!"

Then his eyes and his son's eyes glowed. Christie put up the best light shield she could as their eyes flashed the unseen attack. Her shield shattered from the double blast and she fell to her knees. Then two black binds shot out, one from each opponent, and wrapped around Christie and lifted her into the air and slammed her back down. Zackwell released his grip and his son swung her around, slamming her into and through anything possible before ramming her into the ground.

As Christie struggled to stand back up, she looked at the monster of a child standing before her. He was darker now than she had ever seen him. Of course, Zackwell would make sure that he didn't waver now after two such incidents. She scanned his eyes for any trace of the human in him, but could not find it. That didn't mean it was lost, though.

Somehow, Christie knew that the light side was still struggling and would never give up. She could feel it in her heart, even though she couldn't see it. She felt the child's emotions running through her body. It reminded Christie of her overall plan.

With much pain, she stood back to her feet.

"I know what you're thinking." Zackwell spoke up. "I see that hopeful look in your eyes. You think that my son will waver again and that his human side will rise to power." Zackwell shook his head. "Not this time, sweetheart. I've reinforced his dark shield, enabling him to keep his human emotions at bay, in a place where not even you can reach them."

"I believed you up until that last part." Christie smiled a little. "I'll find a way in somehow or another."

Zackwell rolled his eyes. "Always optimistic. Okay, we'll play it your way. Let's say you _can_ get through to him somehow…it only makes it more urgent to kill you."

Zackwell shot a black beam to knock her onto her back, then jumped into the air, waving his scythe. Then, a red fire trail shot through him, knocking him off course. Ben and Sean had returned to the battle.

The demon landed on his feet and looked at the two Dragoons.

"I'll take care of them." He looked at his son. "Prove your worth. Finish her off." He shot black beams at Sean and Ben and they chased after him. Z.S. stared down Christie. Somehow, with that evil glare on his face, Christie did not think that the light side would be strong enough to break through, even for a moment, and not even to save her life. It was up to her now.

Z.S. lifted his hands above his head as dark power swelled within them. His wings spread wide, gathering more dark energy from his surroundings. Christie created an arrow and fired it at him. The arrow struck him in the heart, but he was not fazed. With a flash of his eyes, the arrow disintegrated. Power continued to coalesce in his hands.

Christie shook her head. Natural weapons couldn't kill his beast. It would take a lot more. Christie closed her eyes and focused on her power, drawing out ever last ounce of it. Even if she had her full Dragoon strength, Christie knew it would not be enough.

The Light Dragoon forced herself to momentarily forget this battle and recall another one, the one in Ulara. She remembered fighting him and how the light within the boy refused to allow the dark side to destroy its mother. Christie locked onto that portion of the battle and moved the story forward in her head a little.

Christie found what she was looking for. It was that moment when she had her hand on his cheek. There was no power causing him to act the way he did. It was merely childish impulse. The way he's moved her face against her hand stirred something in Christie that she never thought she could feel for this child.

Suddenly, a tremor in her spirit made Christie's eyes open. Z.S. was done toying around. He had his power gathered and was reeling back to fire. Christie would normally convert her power into a shield, but quickly changed her mind. She had to put her plan in motion now.

Z.S. fired and Christie closed her eyes. A dark beam struck her hard and she grunted at the pain, but would not block the attack, nor move out of the way. She fought to keep that image in her head, the moment she saw the sweet innocence of a child resting within a monster's shell.

All these emotions joined with her light powers and formed an arrow in her hand. Christie's armor was failing her and her body began to tear. Laboriously, Christie put the arrow to the string. The sharp tip cut through the darkness around her, relieving some of the pain. She could only hope it would relieve his too. Christie drew back the arrow.

"This is my love, son." Christie panted. "Take it or leave it."

She released the bow. The awesome magic cut through Z.S.'s beam effortlessly, rushed to his body, and struck him right in the heart.

Z.S. stopped his beam and let out a roar of pain that was heard all across the battlefield. Zackwell turned instantly to see what the problem was. A shimmering arrow was lodged deep into his son's heart. His expression was greatly pained as his outcries depicted.

"Use your light magic and remove the arrow!" Zachwell commanded.

Z.S. Tried to grab hold of the arrow, but it burned his hand severely. With a yelp, Z.S. Quickly removed his hand, watching it smolder before his eyes. Suddenly, the arrow shone even brighter! Z.S's pain increased tenfold.

The arrow sank into his body entirely and white light began to spread through his veins. The child groaned in agony as the light tore through his insides, forcing its way out his skin. The child lurched forward, clutching his chest, then thrust his limbs outward, shrieking in a demonic voice as the light erupted from within him, breaking through his body and erraticating the darkness inside and around him.

The child fell to his face and did not stand again.

Zackwell stared in shock. "She…she…destroyed his soul! But…but how?" He looked up at her and a rush of anger flooded him. "Keep the others at bay." He told everyone. "She's mine!"

Zackwell gripped his scythe tightly as Christie got into a defensive position. They circled each other for a moment, then Zackwell shot forward. Christie leapt over him and dodged when he came back, then fired a white ray, which Zackwell deflected. He charged again and Christie blocked, then Zackwell headbutted her and kicked her down. Christie was already weakened, and couldn't get up as fast. Zackwell picked her up and threw her into a nearby building. He walked over to her and just as she got up, he swung a mighty uppercut, launching them high into the sky, then he slammed her into the ground.

"Christie!" Ben shouted. He tried to get to her, but Melbu grabbed him and threw him away. The only one who could save Christie now was herself.

"Dragoon fool." Zackwell snorted, looming over Christie. She tried pushing herself up with her hands, but Zackwell kicked them out from under her. "Stay down, maggot! Trying to defy my empire and me! I am beyond defeat now, even from the Rage Dragoon, and the sooner you Dragoons figure that out, the better." He reached down and picked her up by the throat and squeezed her neck. "Now," He stroked his scythe across her face and drew it back. "Just die already!"

But then, Christie rammed one of her arrows into the wrist of the hand holding her throat. Zackwell cried out and she sliced his throat.

"FOOL!" He shouted. He spread the blood on his scythe and tossed it into the air. The Skull Demon fell from the sky and roared, but Christie was ready for that one.

"White-Silver Dragon! Come forth!" A surge of light beyond intense illuminated the city as the Dragon of Light emerged. The Skull Demon snarled and breathed its black fumes, but the White-Silver Dragon opened its mouth and fired an intense beam, cutting through the smog and blasting the skull into oblivion. Then Christie went all-out on Zackwell, while he was weaponless. She struck two arrows into his chest and tore them out through his head, then made a giant X through his head and torso. The arrows surged with power and a brilliant light shone from them, illuminating through Zackwell, blasting him into a million pieces.

Christie took this chance to catch a breather, while Zackwell reformed, but no amount of rest in the world could've prepared her for what was coming next. Zackwell reformed with a look on his face she'd never seen. It was filled with anger, hate, and the lust to kill.

"You just don't get it, do you?" He shot forward shouting, "Soul Strike Fury!" He dashed through her and the dragon, then zoomed back and made three horizontal slashes through her and shot through her again. Then he turned around and poured all his hate and malice into his scythe and attacked. No one could count how many times he attacked. He moved at the speed of light, planting every single slash he could through her, but none left any mark, seeing as they were all the Soul Strike move. Internally, though, Christie was in pain. Zackwell flew above her as she fell and gathered a mighty ball of darkness into his hand and threw it at her, blasting her into the ground.

"NOOO!" Ben shouted, still unable to get to her. "CHRISTIE!"

She couldn't move, much less fight back as Zackwell landed next to her. Blood poured from so many wounds, she couldn't see where any of them originated. Zackwell slid his hand across his scythe.

"And now, for the real thing."

He lifted his blade again, oh-so-ready to end her at last. Christie closed her eyes and waited.

_TSSIIINGG!_

A bright light tore through Zackwell's torso and a spearhead pointed out his belly. Zackwell roared and turned to see his attacker. His eyes widened in shock. It was his son.

The child swung Zackwell over his head and fired another white beam from his spear, knocking Zackwell out of the sky. Then, the child turned and extended his hand, emitting a gentler light upon his mother. The light healed Christie's wounds and restored her energy. Then, he turned his hand to accept hers and help Christie to her feet.

Christie stared at the child. His right eye was no longer dark and twisted, but a human blue one, matching his left. Also, the black veins bulging from his right side had vanished and his black wing had turned white like the other one. He looked as normal as he could for a creature born from conflicting powers.

Zackwell was baffled. "What...you're alive! And on _HER_ side! What devilry is this!"

"Not devilry." Christie countered. "Quite the opposite in fact. I destroyed the dark spirit within him so that the light may flourish. He lives on his own free will now; he is free."

"But...that is impossible!"

"Not impossible." Christie shook her head. "You bound him with hate...I freed him with love."

"Love?" Zackwell spat. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!"

"But it's right in front of you, Zackwell. Perhaps your influence is not as strong as you thought."

Zackwell moved for her, but Z.S. stood in his way.

"Out of my way, boy." Zackwell hissed. "I'll tear right through you."

The boy brandished his spear, fearless.

"Fine!" Zackwell bellowed. "I brought you into this world, I can take you out of it!" He swung his scythe, but Z.S. blocked it and kicked Zackwell in the gut, then the face, then blasted him away with a great white beam. Z.S. continued this high energy stream with three more blasts, one to Melbu, one to Darteth, and one to Anna. All three villians were blasted away and the Dragoons attacking them turned to the source of the attack.

Ben rushed to his wife. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Ben looked at Z.S. and couldn't help noticing the changes in his appearance. The other Dragoons gathered around and pointed their weapons at him.

"Hold on!" Christie called to them. "He's not evil anymore! I wiped out the dark spirit in him. He's human now!"

All eyes turned to her, then the child. The Dragoons were a bit bewildered.

"Seriously?" Brad finally asked.

"Yes. He's harmless."

Z.S. Cocked his head and an eyebrow, not too sure about that statement. Then, he turned to see Zackwell, Melbu, Anna, and Darteth marching back to meet him.

"So be it!" Zackwell hollered to him. "By siding with them, you guarantee your elimination!" Zackwell lifted his hands as dark magic gathered into them. Melbu, Anna, and Darteth transferred their own energy to Zackwell's hands and the power expanded to truly dangerous levels.

Z.S. saw this. Measuring his proximity to the Dragoons, he quickly got a plan. Z.S. ran forward towards Zackwell. When the demon fired his immense black ray, Z.S. held up his spear and blocked the attack. The beam pressed hard against him, but Z.S. held his ground. Then, while holding up his shield, the child turned to the Dragoons.

"Go!" He shouted. "Run, now! I'll hold them off!"

Christie was marvelled that the child talked, but stayed focused. "What about you?"

"I'll catch up. I'll find you, trust me. Just go while you can! I can fight them!"

"But what if Zackwell takes you back?"

The child gave a small grin and a chuckle. "Let's see him try."

Christie couldn't help but smile.

"Now go, hurry!" Z.S. commanded and turned back to the attack he was attempting to block.

"You heard him!" Sean shouted. "Let's get going!"

The Dragoons flapped their wings and took to the skies. Each one of them allowed at least one look back.

* * *

They landed back in the clearing some time later. Mike set Jenn down.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Of course!" She said. "Don't worry so much!"

"So does somebody wanna explain what happened?" Robert asked. All heads turned Christie's way.

"I set him free." Christie smiled at the words. "I struck his heart with the purest arrow I could muster and it was enough to shatter the darkness so that his human side could reign."

"That's...really cool." Melissa had to say.

"Yeah, and he still has his powers, right?" Brad spoke up. "He could help us out! Zackwell created him to be uber powerful, so maybe we can turn that against him."

"I just hope he's alright." Christie took a deep breath.

"Hey, did you see the look on his face?" Ben asked her, wrapping his arm around he shoulders. "If he does go down, he's fighting tooth and nail."

"Yeah." Sean agreed. "He'll be hard to tackle. I mean Brad's right. Zackwell did make him to be more powerful than he was, right?"

"Faster, too!" Marian said, pointing up. "Check it out!"

A figure flew at a great speed towards the clearing. Suddenly, it swooped low and landed on its feet. The child leaned over, panting heavily, his wings drooping. He'd obviously been flying very fast and hard to reach them so quickly.

Christie rushed to his side. "Are you okay?"

The child gave a thumbs up, too weary to speak. While he was panting, he looked around, then pointed up. The Dragoons turned to see a wingly floating down among them, also somewhat winded from the flight, but she would be alright. The Dragoons stared, unsure what to think.

Sean was paralyzed. It was Anna, but...something was different. Her expression was warm and her eyes did not glow vilely as they had been earlier. No, this time her eyes were kind and more lively than fierce. Without the evil radiation, Anna was a very pretty specimen.

Still, the Dragoons were a bit wary.

"Hello." She said to all. Sean nearly collapsed at her voice. In that moment, he knew she was back.

"You're..." Sean whispered.

Anna nodded. "I am freed as well."

"H-how?" Sean had to ask.

"I freed her." Z.S. said through the pants and looked at his mother. "Just as...she freed me."

"We flew here as fast as we could." Anna explained. Sean wasn't interested.

"You're alive!"

Anna looked down. "Not quite." Sean's smile faded a bit.

"What do you mean?"

"I was only a spirit when Zackwell captured me, so that is all I am now. I just...wanted to see you once more before I left."

Sean's eyes were tearing up quickly and he fought back the tears.

"So you found them." Anna looked around. "I knew you would. Did you get the hologram I left you?"

"Yeah." Sean nodded. "About eight years too late."

"Too late?"

"After you died, I was afraid to let anyone close to me again. I became an emotionless shell who only knew how to fight and not feel. When I met these guys, they tried breaking through to me, but..." He wrapped his arm around Melissa. "She's the one who really helped me through...more than once."

Melissa shrugged. "I have that influence."

"So I see." Anna chuckled.

"Sean's told me a lot about you." Melisssa said. "It's good to finally meet you."

"Likewise. You seem to have done well, Sean, from what I see. That city you attacked as a major supplier to other cities, so they will suffer, allowing you to strike down many more of Zackwell's fortresses. Plus, he now has two less members to his group, and I will be returning shortly so that he may not ensnare me again." Her expression softened. "I am sorry I could not fight him, Sean. I never wanted to hurt you."

"I know." Sean nodded. "I knew it wasn't the real you."

"No." Anna shook her head. "I fought all I could, but to no avail. My body was no longer my own. Zackwell did what he pleased and made me do the same." Her body seemed to quiver as she looked at the ground. "Even...even when Zackwell went for Hank..." Her voice croaked.

Sean stared at the ground as well, comforted only by Melissa's embrace.

"I screamed as loud as I could and fought as hard as I could, but even then I could not break free..." Anna mourned. "I almost quit trying that day...but now...perhpas I can finally see him again."

Sean knew what she meant and cracked a smile. "Say hi to him for me, okay?"

"I shall. I was good seeing you again, son." She began to drift away.

That last word made the tears flow. "You too, mom."

"Take care now...goodbye." With that, she vanished into thin air.

"She's safe now." Sean said, taking a breath. "Zackwell can't take her back."

"I know." Melissa kissed his cheek. "She's proud of you."

"I know." He smiled. "It was brief, but...just seeing her freed was enough for me."

Melissa hugged him tighter. Sean looked at Z.S.

"Kid...you have my eternal thanks."

He just shrugged.

"Speaking of the kid." Robert said. "What do we do about him now?"

The silence was a little too long.

"Well," Christie finally spoke up. "He is my son, so..." She looked up at Ben with pleading eyes.

Ben didn't like that look. He always did what she wanted when she used it. Well, did he have a choice anyway? She _was_ his mother...however uneasy it made him.

"Well...I guess he _has_ to stay with us, doesn't he?"

"But...then what?" Robert asked again. "You guys gonna pass him off as a human?"

Z.S. was on this one. With a shloop sound, his wings were sucked into his back and vanished from sight. All he needed was a shirt under the vest.

"What about the hair?" Mike asked.

Z.S. held his black and white locks in front of his eyes, then shrugged.

"Maybe it's permanent." Brittany offered.

Christie thought for a minute. "He needs a name...Z.S. isn't so appropriate anymore, is it?"

Brittany shook her head. "He's your kid, Chris. You name him."

Ben's eyes lit up. "That's it! Chris. We named him Z.S. After Zackwell, so how about Chris after his mother?"

Christie beamed. "I like it."

Chris considered the name, then gave it a grin. It would work.

"So what's his alabi?" Sean asked.

"Why not tell people the truth about him?" Christie wondered aloud. "We told them about us, right?"

"Yeah, but a child of darkness sent to kill us all sounds a lot less appealing than Dragon Knights."

"Point noted." Ben bit his lip. "Let's think about this one..."

* * *

Zackwell threw a table across the room with a quick fling of his arms. "This can't be happening." He punched through a column, adding to the many beatings his castle interior had taken. Melbu and Darteth were keeping their distance. "How could he slip from my grasp?"

With an outcry of fury, he spread his arms out and fired a great red ray from his eyes, tearing through the ceiling. "HOW COULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED TO ME?"

_Perhaps you're not as powerful as you like to imagine._

Zackwell froze for a second, letting the tingle vanish from his system. "I must be alone for a moment." He told Melbu and Darteth before rushing through the nearest door and slamming it behind him.

Zackwell paced for a moment before seeing a streak of red and black rise from the ground. Lucifer had come in a pillar of fire.

"My Lord Lucifer-" Zackwell was silenced by Lucifer's extended hand, closing off his windpipe at a distance.

"I admitted to the brilliance of this scheme." Lucifer's eyes were cold and merciless. "But I also admitted to how you seem to find holes in the greatest of plans. This proves it. Now you have given them a mighty trump card." Lucifer's fist shook in anger. "I knew I should not have given you another chance."

Zackwell tried to speak, but was still choking.

"And what's more...you lost Anna." The grip tightened. "Can you guess how often I have a chance to reclaim a soul!" he threw Zackwell across the room, releasing his grip and walked towards him.

"Wait!" Zackwell pleaded. "I'll fix it! I'll get him back!"

"I know you will. For if you do not, demon prison awaits you." His eyes narrowed. "Bring him back or destroy him, I don't care which. Just get it done. I'm sick of your failures. Progress would be a nice change."

With a puff of black smoke, Lucifer vanished, leaving Zackwell alone. The demon clenched an angry fist. "I will not have my name ruined again. He will follow me...or he will follow no one."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: So, some nice changes in this chapter. Chris is free now, but he'll have to face Zackwell sooner or later. How will that turn out? Stay tuned.

Two thigns now. One, I've tried to update every week cuz I had a lot of the story pre-written, but now, I'm caught up and the time it takes to update will be staggered.

The other thing...reviews. The number of hits vs. the number of reviews is saddening. C'mon, y'all, show some love! Tell me what to improve if need be. Everybody enjoys feedback. Okay, I'm done. More fun stuff and more not-so-fun stuff coming in the future chapters. Hope you enjoyed it so far!


	11. Human

Chapter Eleven: Human

Christopher Benjamin Freeman glared at the mirror and the half-wit glaring back. This wasn't presentable, but he couldn't get himself to be as such! He fumbled with his hair left and right, but couldn't get anything decent out of it for quite a while.

"I don't have time for this." He muttered. He'd been trying all morning to look his best, but what did he know about human fashion? He finally gave up. He was going as he was...once he found those darn shoes.

Chris had only been human for a month or so, but now he was being thrust into the middle of its adolescant society: High School. After a few tests, he had enough knowledge for 9th grade work. So far, he was passing for normal pretty well.

Ah! There they were! Chris grabbed the shoes and slipped them on, completing his human attire. Now if he could only do something about his hair...if only he'd thought to do something about it...maybe he could've dyed it.

_Well, mom said there are plenty of freaks and wierdos_, Chris thought to himself. _I should fit right in..._

He was still waiting for the day when Zackwell came back for him, but so far, there was nothing. For the whole month, Zackwell had not made a move, and it was rather unnerving. He was probably planning his next move. Chris shuddered at the thought.

Anyway, he couldn't show such fear at school today, or any day. No one knew about his real past. As far as they all knew, he was beat up and abandoned in the woods until he was found by a couple of wanderers (who just happened to be Dragoons). They took him in, he didn't remember his past, yada, yada, yada. The more Chris thought about it, the more pathetic it sounded.

Still, it was an alabi he had to go by. No one would accept him if they knew what he really was...what he was supposed to be.

It would also help NOT to use his powers, but...Chris found himself slipping every now and then. He still wasn't used to human living, but the school year wasn't going to start any later. He had to go now.

A knock rapped on his door. "Chris? You ready?"

His mother, Christie. Chris smiled at her voice, that same voice in the darkness that had pulled him to freedom. He would be forever grateful for it.

"Yeah, I'm coming!"

Speech was still odd for him. Chris was rather shy after not using his tongue for so long. He was getting better at it, though. Still, he was nervous around those he didn't know so well.

Chris finished with the shoe and stepped out of his room and walked to the kitchen, where Christie and Ben awaited. Ben still looked like he was half asleep. Still, he had a grin on his face.

"This ought to be good."

Christie gave him a light whack on the head. "Leave him alone!"

Chris cracked his knuckled and took a couple heavy breaths, preparing himself mentally. "Okay...I think I'm ready."

"You sure?" Ben asked groggily. "High school is a dangerous place."

"Ben!" Christie snapped. "Don't scare him."

"I'm not! I'm warning him!"

Chris groaned. "I'd better get going."

"Alright." Christie walked up to him, making a few last-minute adjustments to straighten his shirt. "Mark! C'mon!"

Little Mark rushed in, a bright smile on his face. He was quite excited about school, for he was starting as well, going into Kindergarden.

Chris had kind of gotten used to the little guy who was supposed to be his older brother. It was quite ironic, but all in all, the two had gotten used to each other.

"Let's go! Let's go!" Mark demanded. Christie would drive the first couple of days, then Chris would walk him both ways. They both had some breaking in to do first.

"Okay!" Christie chuckled as Mark dragged her hand towards the door. She held back just long enough to give Chris a kiss on the cheek. "Tell me how it goes! Good luck!"

Mark dragged her out the door and Chris just stood there, pondering his next move. He looked at Ben.

"I'm gonna suck, aren't I?"

"At first." Ben nodded, taking his umpteenth sip of coffee. "But you'll get used to being human soon enough."

"Maybe. Alright, I'm leaving. See you later."

"Good luck."

Chris walked out the door, feelin as though he was going into the toughest battle of his life.

* * *

Clamour! Such a clamour! Chris walked through the front doors and was whooshed into a foreign and frightening world.

Sudents walked back and forth, chattering away about their studies, what they did over the summer, and...everything else! So many conversations that Chris could not understand if he tried. The human teenagers were of all shapes, sizes, and colors. Some humans had a fleshy color such as his, others had paler skin, some were tanned, some looked burned. Others had dark brown skin and some were in the middle. Some had short hair, some had long hair, some had no hair, some had colored hair, and some looked like they had bought their hair. Some had short sleeves, some had no sleeves. Some wore pants, some wore shorts, some wore skirts. The clothing articles were in every color imaginable, some with words and some without. Humans varied so dramatically, it made Chris dizzy. There were so many different types of people...

Chris adjusted the backpack on his shoulder and tried to look natural, but found many eyes looking at him. Most of those eyeballs stayed fixed on him. He'd been in the news a bit as the mysterious young man with no recollection of his past and suddenly, here he was in their school, in their territory. It wasn't a threatening notion per say, but Chris felt like a stranger anyway.

Sooner or later, Chris found his locker and fiddled with it for another moment before finally popping it open. As he was looking over the small space, trying to decide how best to use it, something strange happened.

Someone came up next to him and opened the adjacent locker. Chris casually turned to look and froze. It was a female. Her hair was chestnut brown and her eyes a sparlking blue, batting in and out of visibility by her long lashes. Her cheeks were rosy and her lips a darker red than he'd seen on most humans. He would later learn that it was makeup she'd applied to look pleasant for her first day. She'd also dolled herself up with pretty earings and bracelets. A pretty white blouse covered her top and a light blue skirt was wrapped around her waist. Beneath it, Chris saw her long, shimmering legs leading down to expensive shoes. Well, she _had_ caught his attention.

"Ahem."

Chris's gaze snapped back up to her face, which was now staring at his.

"Can I help you?" She asked. Her tone said she wasn't actually in the mood to perform any favors for this gawking hornball.

"Um, n-no, I was just..."

"Staring?"

Chris didn't know too much about humans yet, but he knew how to read faces, and hers was angry.

"I'm sorry...I'll go now." He grabbed his things and hurried away, feeling embarrassed.

* * *

The first day held nothing special, just an introduction to the classes. Soon enough, though, the real work started. Chris's mind had been filled with wordly knowledge from birth, so mathamatics and sciences were his forte. His biggest problem wasHistory, which he knew absolutely nothing about. However, Chris did shockingly well in that class. This was because Chris was so very interested in learning about everything that had happened.

Chris had his nose in the textbook every night, figuring out new thigns, and new sides to stories he'd heard, such as the Dragon Campaign. Speaking of which, Chris was often asked about living with a Dragoon, but he didn't have much to report. Other than that, people didn't talk to him too much. Chris was especially shy and didn't know what to say to people. Ben, Christie, and everyone else just told him to act natural, but the truth was...he wasn't natural.

That was something that ate at Chris for many days. He wasn't human, so how could he pretend? Then one day...it all changed.

Chris stared at the textbook, eyes boring holes into the pages. The Dragon Campaign. Chris nowknew it through and through, but he loved reading about it still. He was sitting in study hall, alone in the corner as usual. There were few others at his table, but he paid them no mind as they chattered about. It gave him more time for study. But then, one stood up and came over to him. He was of average height with light, blonde hair and a decent figure. "Hey, buddy. Got a spare pencil?"

As luck would have it, Chris did. He pulled it out and handed it to the boy. He started to leave, but then stopped and looked at the textbook again.

"You in Stellhorn's Endiness History class?"

Chris looked up. Someone was socializing with him? "Yeah. 3rd hour. You?"

"Yep. 7th. Do you get the material?"

"Yeah, why?"

The boy scoffed, but seemed impressed. "I'm totally lost in that class. The guy talks too slow for me to stay awake."

Chris chuckled, but shook his head. "Oh, I really like this stuff. History just kinda fascinates me."

"Really? Then how did Melbu Frahma get so much power?"

"Crystal Sphere." Chris answered automatically. "The spirit of the 108th fruit."

"What?"

"The winglies split the Virage Embryo into spirit and body. The body was levitated into the sky as the Moon that Never Sets. The spirit was contained in the Crystal Sphere, which Melbu drew power from."

The boy stared at him for a moment, then rushed back to his spot at the table, grabbed the homework sheet, and sat back down in front of Chris.

"Okay...say that all again."

Chris was stunned. "Okay...the winglies-"

"Oh, my name's Caleb by the way."

Chris had to smile. "I'm Chris."

They shook.

"How about this." Caleb proposed. "You help me with History and I'll help you with English."

"What makes you think I need help in English?"

"You sit in the back, you never say a word, and you don't know how to express yourself. You could be on drugs."

Chris laughed. "Yeah...I do suck in English, so...alright. It's a deal."

Caleb put the pencil to the paper. "Good. So what'd you say about a Crystal and the Virage-something?"

* * *

That was only the beginning of Chris's unruly day. He and Caleb became good friends quickly and decided to hang out together more. But it would get better for Chris quite quickly.

As Chris and Caleb were walking through the hall during the passing period, something else happened. They were passing the stairs as someone descended them.

Chris recognized this beautiful specimen as Cara Hart, the girl with the locker right next to Chris's who had glared daggers into him for gawking at her. Chris had tried not to do so nowadays...when she wasn't looking at least. As earlier stated, she was very pretty, and Chris couldn't help the raging human hormones. Lately, Cara hadn't gone to such extreems to make herself noticable as she had that first day. She was getting more comfortable with herself, it seemed.

It had been raining all day and some students still chose to go outside on occasion, so the floors were quite wet...including the stairs.

It happened in slow-mo. Chris looked up and saw her descend half the steps, then on one, her foot slipped out from under her. The lack of footing caused her to toss her books upward and begin to fall. That's when Chris's inhuman instincts came in.

He leapt up the stairs at a shocking speed, then put on hand on the right rail and jumped up, shooting his right foot out and slamming it against the opposite wall. Cara fall right onto his leg and stopped falling before she'd hardly begun. It didn't end there. Chris turned his upper body and extended his hand, catching a book and two notebooks, then shot out his free foot and caught her agenda. Chris kicked the agenda back up, pushed Cara back up a little, and spun on his side, landing on both feet and caught the agenda on top of the stack in his hand. But Cara hadn't quite been pushed back onto flat feet, so Chris shot out his hand to catch her. He succeeded, but his hands ended up pushing right into her breasts.

Chris yanked his hand away, shocked. "S-sorry...sorry!" he handed Cara her books and trotted back down the stairs, face red and flushed.

Caleb watched Chris leave, then looked back up at Cara, then Chris again. He wasn't the only one staring. Caleb rushed after Chris.

"Chris! Whoa! Wh-what the heck was that?"

"I know, I know, but it was an accident! I didn't mean to touch her...there."

"What? Who cares, dude? What was that...that...ninja...antigravity...light-speed...lifesaving-slash-book-catching...thing?"

"Oh..." Chris gulped. "I...I don't know. It just...it just happened."

"How often does that...just happen?"

"I wouldn't know...it just happened."

Caleb was still staring. "Whatever it was...it was freakin' awesome!"

"R-really?"

"Heck, yeah! You're hanging out with me more." he put his arm around his shoulder. "Walk with me, talk with me."

Chris chuckled. This day was going weird, but okay.

The next passing period, Chris went to his locker. He was only alone for about three seconds.

"Hey!" It was Cara. "Chris, right?"

"Yeah."

"What...what exactly was that you did earlier?"

Chris hesitated. "Which part?"

She gave him a look. "The part where you went horizontal, caught me and my books, then gave them back and ran off!"

"Oh that...I'm not really sure. It just kinda happened."

"Just...happened?"

Chris shrugged. "It's the truth!"

She wasn't sure what to say. "Well...whatever it was...thank you...I might have taken a nasty tumble if you hadn't caught me."

"Oh, uh, no problem. And I'm sorry about...touching your...um...when I caught you, I-"

"That's...kinda not important, don't you think? I mean at least you caught me, and...you didn't do it on purpose."

"No, no! Of course not. And I'm sorry for, eh, staring at you that day."

She couldn't help but smile. "And the other days too?"

Chris cringed. "Yes...sorry."

"Why were you staring, might I ask?"

Chris gulped. "Cuz I...thought...you were pretty."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

Cara paused for a moment. "You're kinda cute yourself."

Chris hadn't expected this. He had nothing to say.

"Maybe we should go out sometime." Cara suggested.

Uh-oh! Going out...a human term that Chris didn't know! What should he say?

"Um, uh...g-go out?"

"Yeah, you know...dinner and a movie or something?"

Ah-ha! A concept he understood!

"Oh, um...yeah, sure."

Cara smiled. "Alright then. Friday night? Seven o'clock?"

Why not? "Yeah."

"Cool...I'll see you around, Chris." And she walked off, leaving Chris alone, but smiling, though he had no clue why.

* * *

The day was still incomplete for Chris. When the last bell rang, Chris grabbed his gear from his locker and was about to go to the elementary school to pick up Mark and walk him home when Caleb caught him.

"Yo!" He said.

Chris turned. "Yo."

"Done any more ninja moves?"

Chris laughed, "No, nothing so far."

"Whatchya doin' after school?"

"I gotta walk Mark home...he's in Kindergarden and he's the son of the family I'm living with." He'd gotten good at that not-quite-lie.

"How about hanging out after you do that? You, me, and my friend Nick."

Chris smiled. "Yeah, sure! I'd love to."

"Cool. Just meet me back here in the front of the school, I guess."

"Alright. Will do."

Chris hurried Mark home and rushed back to the school. The day was going very well for him!

Chris got back and found Caleb at the main door, while most of the other students had gone on home.

"Hey...where's your friend?" Chris asked him.

"I dunno. He was supposed to meet me out here and I'm not getting an answer on his phone...hey wait...there he..." Caleb trailed off as a boy with short, brown hair approached them. He had a black eye and a couple other bruises and scrapes.

"What the!" Caleb walked to him. "What the heck happened to you?"

The boy, Nick, shrugged, looking at the ground. "Same old, same old..."

Caleb figured it out. "You said you had their money today!"

"I did."

"And?"

"They wanted more."

"More? They've already doubled the original fee!" Nick shrugged again. Caleb sighed. "Stay here." He began walking.

"Caleb, no. It's not your deal."

"It is now." Caleb stormed away.

"What's going on?" Chris asked.

Nick looked at him. "You Caleb's new friend?"

"Yeah. I'm Chris...you're Nick?"

"Mm-hmm."

"What happened to you?"

Nick's eyes turned to the ground once more. "I got involved with the wrong crowd. A school gang...more of a mafia, really. I asked a favor, they wanted money, then they kept wanting more money, and I couldn't do anything about it."

"So Caleb's going to try?"

"I guess."

"Think he can?"

"Probably not...they're tough, real tough. That's why everyone has to follow their orders. They're real dangerous."

Chris got a notion. "I'd better help him then."

"No...you shouldn't have to get involved."

Chris looked at him. "Caleb's the first friend I've had here. I don't want to see him get hurt." He jogged off in the direction that Caleb had gone.

It was in a shaded corner behind the school where the young thugs gathered. There were six of them, Chris saw, and Caleb was squaring off with them.

"Hey!" He trotted up to him. "Thought I'd lend a hand."

Caleb sighed. "Those ninja tricks might be nice."

Chris smiled.

"You said you had a bone to pick?" One thug said, evidently the leader.

"Yeah, my friend Nick. He's already paid twice the original asking amount, so lay off him!"

They looked at each other, then back at Caleb.

"So...do you actually think we're gonna do that just cuz you told us to?"

Caleb looked at Chris. "I really hope you can fight."

Chris smiled. "I really hope you can keep up."

"Fight, huh?" One gangster overheard. "Sounds like fun. C'mon, guys, let's give 'em what they want."

"Stick close to me." Chris whispered.

"Do what?" Caleb asked.

Chris stepped forward. The first punch was thrown. Chris moved aside and swung an uppercut, catching the thug in the jaw, then punched his belly, knocking the wind out of him, then performed a backflip kick, knocking the thug to the ground, where he stayed.

The others looked at their fallen comrade and back at Chris. They charged. Chris stepped to the side and shot out a flat-footed kick in the ribs of one thug, then jumped into a spinning kick to knock back three others. Chris turned his attention back to his first kick victim and planted three punches on his face, then kicked him down. The two who had not yet received damage grabbed Chris's arms. One felt a sharp kick to the inside of his knee and stumbled, then hit the ground as a result of Caleb's punch.

With his other arm free, Chris spun it around into a mighty strike to his other captor's jaw, then jabbed his ribs, then jumped into a spinning kick. Only two left, but they were more ferocious now. Each had a knife. Chris swung a kick, but the moved back and swiped. They missed. One made the mistake of rushing. Chris stepped aside and grabbed the thug's arm, then twisted his wrist til he dropped his knife, then jabbed him in the gut with his elbow, then stepped back and kicked three times in the chest, then once to his face, taking him out.

The other thug leapt at Caleb. He also moved to the side and punched the thug in the gut. Perfect! Caleb had knocked the wind out of him and caused him to drop his knife. Caleb punched his face twice, then kicked his knee out. As the thug fell, he was able to block Caleb's next punch, then deliver one to his gut. Caleb stumbled backwards. The thug stood up, but only to be knocked back down by Chris's flying kick.

Caleb rubbed his stomach and stood up, looking around. Some gangsters were still trying to stand. Chris struck a pose. "Sure you wanna do that?"

They seethed. Chris turned to Caleb with a small grin. "How was that?"

Caleb walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder with a smirk. "You just made friends with every decent person in school...just remember your roots, of course." he added, pointing a thumb at himself.

* * *

Come Friday night, it didn't matter to Chris if he had made a million friends for beating up that gang-which he did. He was only concerned about Cara, his date.

He'd gone home and asked Ben about the whole "going out" thing, to which Ben stared at him and asked "What did you do?"

After a long explination, Chris got the basic jist of it. Two people-or more in some cases-go somewhere or do something together. It's not just for the entertainment of the activity, but just to be with one another. Why? Because of an attraction that exists between them that no one can really explain. It's just there. Ben explained that this attraction is what brought himself and Christie together so long ago...althought it was undoubtedly more intense for them.

So that's why Cara had suggested they go out. She obviously felt this attraction...though Chris wasn't sure why. Sure, he'd saved her neck, and sure he'd done it stylishly, and sure, he had an attractive athletic build, but still...why?

Well, he wouldn't get the answer staring down the half-wit in the mirror. Time to go.

"What do I do?" Chris asked befeore he left. "What do I say?"

"Just act naturally." Christie tried to calm him. "Be yourself."

Chris gave her a look.

Christie rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean."

Ben was beaming. "Can't we strap a camera to him or something? This is gonna be hallarious!"

"Ben!"

"What?"

Christie shook her head. "Ignore him, Chris. But about tonight, just go with the conversation as it proceeds."

Chris sighed. "There are so many things I don't understand."

"Hanging out with humans will increase your knowledge of that. Now, you remember where she lives?"

"Yeah."

"Okay then...I'd say you're ready."

Chris scoffed. "We'll see...okay then...I'm going. See ya." He turned and walked out the door.

Suddenly, Chris rushed back in. "One more thing! My friends say Cara has an awesome rack. Sounds like a compliment, but should I tell her that?"

"NO!" Christie exclaimed.

"God, no!" Ben jumped in.

"Okay, thanks." He left, then ran right back in. "What is a rack, anyway?"

"We'll explain that later." Ben said. "Just don't mention it at all tonight."

"Got it."

Christie spoke up. "Any other little phrases your friends have uttered that you might want to refrain from using?"

Chris searched his mind. "Well...there's one more I don't get...Caleb says I have a 'MILF'. What's a MILF?"

Christie's jaw hit the floor.

Ben clasped his hands together and closed his eyes. "Dear God, please let this memory stay fresh in my mind til the end of my days."

"Bad thing?" Chris guessed.

Christie's eye twitched. "Ben will explain it later...just don't mention it again...ever."

"Okay...well, bye." he left and Christie sat down with her hands in her face.

"Oh God..." She groaned.

"Mommy." Mark perked up. "What's a MILF?"

Ben leaned in. "You're lookin' at it, kid."

* * *

Chris went on his date and did quite well, surprisingly. He followed his mother's advice and let the conversations flow as they came about. All the night, his hands were shaking. Cara noticed and took his hand in hers at one point in the night. Chris thought he was having a heart attack.

When the night ended, Chris walked Cara back home. They'd hit it off very well and Cara said she was very much looking forward to the next date. Chris found himself feeling the same way...especially after the goodnight kiss, which left him frozen on her porch.

With each passing day, Chris had felt more and more human. He was blending in piece by piece, and really enjoying it. As long as he could escape what he was supposed to be, Chris was happy.

As long as he could escape...and only that long.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Chris is doing well, but what of Zackwell? What's he up to? Starting in the next chatper, the real madness begins...

I got a good heap of reviews for the last chapter-thanks a bunch, guys! You rock! Keep 'em comin, por favor. I'll have the next chapter up as soon as I can.


	12. Initiate Phase Three

Chapter Twelve: Initiate Phase Three

The Dragoons continued their work against Zackwell diligently. They took apart his empire, piece by piece, fortress by fortress, stronghold by stronghold. They were not alone in their efforts.

Sean had called Colonel Jeffery Sanders and discovered that it was now _General_ Jeffery Sanders. The new general led the United Endiness Army against Zackwell's strongholds and successfully wiped out several of them. It was war.

But as of yet, the enemy had made no movements against the humans. In fact, the enemy had made no movements whatsoever! The darkness was eerily silent and Zackwell was nowhere to be found. Melbu and Darteth made themselves known every now and then, but the Dragoons would always deal with them.

The Dragoons didn't like it, not one bit. Zackwell was undoubtedly planning something diabolical and they would not be up to a nasty surprise.

As the Dragoons worked, Chris aided them whenever he could. His powers of light allowed him to do much damage to Zackwell's black armies. He kept Caleb and Nick as close friends and Cara stuck around as his girlfriend. It turned out that Chris could be rather charming in a naïve, innocent way.

Over time, Chris was nearly able to forget why he had been born. Maybe someday he could tell them all, but as for now, Chris was silent. While trapped in his dark prison, Chris thought he'd never be able to enjoy the simple things in life like real humans, but here he was. He was free, and he was very happy.

However, tragedy has a way of sneaking up behind happiness and strangling it.

Chris, Caleb, Nick, and Cara had formed their own little group and hung out together often. They were walking through town on a seemingly uninteresting day. They were just keeping themselves busy for a while. Not too long into their day...everything would change...forever.

"So did anybody actually stay awake during that movie?" Caleb yawned as they left the theater, outgoing as ever.

"I did!" Cara said defensively. "Did you really fall asleep?"

"Yeah, and that doesn't actually happen often. It was so boring! The plot was obvious and the movie was slow."

"I liked it!"

"Of course you did. All those lovey-dovey romantic comedy things interest you."

Cara turned to Nick. "What about you? What did you think?"

The bashful Nick shrugged. "I dunno...didn't fall asleep, but it wasn't my thing."

"Well, that's a more pleasant way to look at it...Chris? What about you?"

Chris gulped. "I...don't know."

"Cuz you were lathering your attention on Cara." Caleb said, saving his hide yet again. "Look Cara, no offense, but those movies bore me senseless. We're guys here. We need a good action flick. Give me a fight scene, a car chase...an explosion!"

One second later, Caleb got his wish. Chris detected it and jumped into place, putting up a shield of light to cover himself and his friends.

_KA-BOOOMM!_

The building they were standing next to erupted in a deafening blast and a tremendous orange flame. Steel and concrete shattered and flew about, but it was all deflected by Chris's shield. Even so, his friends were knocked to the ground by the tremor.

Chaos ran through their minds. They could barely hear anything other than their heartbeats and flames were roaring around them and the world was shaking. They covered themselves instinctively until the nightmare subsided. The flames quickly drifted away and their hearing slowly began to return to them. They didn't know if it would ever be normal again, though. Chris lowered his shield.

Slowly, they began to stand and look around at the panicking people and the injured souls, not to mention the dead.

"Wh-wh-what...what was that!" Caleb exclaimed.

Cara grabbed onto Chris's arm. "Are...are you okay?"

"Yeah...I'm okay."

"What...what did you do?"

"Yeah!" Caleb jumped. "You stood there during that blast while we were on the ground. What happened?"

Chris found himself caught. "I...haven't been entirely honest with you guys." Suddenly, he looked up. "DOWN!"

They all ducked as Chris put up another shield as the building now nearest to them exploded like the first. This time, they'd covered their ears instinctively. When it was over, they stood again.

"What's going on!" Cara exclaimed.

"I don't know!" Chris said.

_You value their lives far too much._ A familiar voice in the air. Chris's eyes widened in horror. He jumped into place one more, yelling at his friends to duck as a third building exploded near them. Again, he protected them.

"What IS that!" Caleb demanded of no one in particular.

"It's him..." Chris said. "It's Zackwell."

They all looked up at him.

"Zackwell?" Cara asked. "You mean that demon they're fighting!"

"Yeah..."

"He's looking for the Dragoons then!" Caleb guessed.

"No." Chris shook his head. "He's after me."

"You? Why?"

"Because of my abilities...my powers..."

Cara stood up. "Chris, what's going on?"

He sighed heavily. "I can't explain here. We could be attacked again. To the park! Follow me!" He began running and his friends followed. Behind them, another explosion erupted and another building crumbled to the ground. The streets were filled with panic and mayhem.

Chris's senses were high-strung, looking all over for Zackwell's presence, but could only hear his voice.

_Run, run, run, as fast as you can. You can't escape me...no one can. _

Chris kept running, fighting to ignore the voice in his head.

* * *

The McManns were watching TV when it happened. Melissa's Dragoon spirit suddenly shone brightly. Melissa listened to her dragon's instructions.

"What is it?" Sean asked her.

"Zackwell…he's here, in town!"

Sean jumped up. "Find Eric and make sure he stays here. I'll summon the others and call the general. Let's move!"

* * *

Chris led his friends away from the buildings for fear of more explosions. The only clear place he could think of was the park. He ran there and his friends struggled to keep up.

"This should be safe."

"I don't think anything's safe when buildings spontaneously combust!" Caleb countered. "What's next? Trees?"

"Chris, what's going on?" Cara asked.

Chris took a deep breath and let it out. "This is all my fault…it's all happening because of me."

"How?" They all asked.

"Look…I'm not human." That got a few stares. "Not entirely at least. Look…I wasn't really born per se…I was created."

"From what?" Caleb asked.

"From Zackwell…and Christie Freeman." They all stared, unsure what to say. "Zackwell created me, forging darkness and light together to make a new type of creation. He…wanted me to be a weapon. He gave me phenomenal powers and wanted me to help him eradicate all life from the planet."

Caleb spoke up. "You're kidding us, right?"

Chris extended held his arms out at his sides. White energy rippled through the air around him, proving his powers. "Like I said…I'm not normal. And…Christie is my mother, my real mother. She didn't find me beat up in the woods and I don't have amnesia. She freed me from Zackwell's clutch and allowed me to live with her."

"Chris…" Cara said, "Why did you say anything before?"

He looked down and shook his head. "If people knew what I really was…what I was meant to be…they wouldn't accept me."

Another explosion rocked in the distance as more screams were heard. They were all a little too distracted to pay it much heed.

"Well…" Said Nick of all people. "You're different now, right?"

Chris looked up. "Yeah."

"Then…it's cool by me."

"Really?"

"Me too." Caleb said.

"You serious?"

Cara stepped up and took his hand. "Yeah…you're way too nice a guy to hate."

Chris blushed. That was significantly easier than he'd thought.

_Nice guy or not,_ Zackwell spoke for all to hear, _He will still be the doom for all of you!_

Chris felt it coming and shoved his friends away with a white wave. The ground exploded from under him, tossing him into the sky. He landed on his back and quickly got back up.

"Show yourself, Zackwell!"

Chris received only laughter as a response.

"Okay!" Caleb spoke up. "I'm officially freaked out! Disembodied voices? Random explosions? And you say Zackwell himself is here, the most powerful demon to ever walk the earth? I say we high-tail it."

"It won't work." Chris said. "We can run all we like, but he'll catch up to us. At least…he will as long as I'm with you. You guys run. Zackwell came for me, so I have to face him. So get going and stay safe, now!"

"What about you?" Nick asked.

"I can hold off, but he'll kill you three on sight."

"What if he comes after us?" Caleb asked. "We can't fend off explosions like you can!"

"I'll keep him busy. Don't worry. Just run!"

"I think we're safer with you." Cara suggested.

"No!" Chris was getting frustrated in fear. "That's why he's here! He's come back for me!"

_Run, stay, it does not matter._ Zackwell scoffed. _You will all be destroyed in due time._

Black clouds were forming over the city at an unnatural rate.

"Zackwell's doing?" Caleb guessed.

"Yeah…I don't know what he's planning, but it can't be good. You can't stay here. The longer you're with me, the longer you are all in danger."

"I think we're in danger already!" Nick pointed to the sky. "Look!"

They all did, staring at the sky in horror.

* * *

All the Dragoons were assembled and ready to go in a moment. They had to get Zackwell out of their city quickly-too many innocent lives were here. They flew, searching for Zackwell and following the explosions. But Zackwell was ready for them.

The skies suddenly grew dark as black clouds formed above them.

"Never a good sign." Brad sighed. "Zackwell must be planning something nasty."

"We have to find him quickly." Sean said. "All of us may be able to get him out of the city and deal with him then."

As Sean spoke, Ben felt something. He turned and looked up at the sky, then his eyes widened. "WHOA!"

All eyes turned towards the sky and the other Dragoons shouted out various responses just before flailing away from the roaring fireballs raining from the sky. It was literally like a rain of fire, so many blazing infernos streaking from the clouds and striking the ground, bursting their contact points into flame.

The air was not a good place to be. The Dragoons twisted and turned, trying to get around the fireballs as they scorched passed. For the nimble Dragoons like Brittany, Christie, and Brad, this was not too difficult, but for the bulkier Dragoons like Sean, Mike, and Ben, it was no picnic. The Dragoons were struck repeatedly by the blazing rain, despite their best efforts.

"SHOOT!" Sean shouted, sliding away from another fireball, then another. "We gotta do something!"

Marian took charge. She flew a little higher, defending herself with a shield she created, then suddenly expanded her wings and arms, increasing the range of the shield and covering the Dragoons in it. Fireballs burst against Marian's magic shield, exploding in dull thuds, making small dents and nothing more. Even so, Marian was straining just to keep it up.

"Hurry up, you guys!" She grunted. "I won't be able to hold this for too long if the fire keeps coming like it is!"

"Where would Zackwell be!" Sean demanded of anyone.

"Wherever Chris is." Christie spoke up. "No doubt he has come back to deal with him."

"Good point." Sean sighed. "Where's Chris?"

* * *

Fire rained from the sky mercilessly. Buildings and homes were quickly set ablaze. The flames were small, but they were combining. A great fire was beginning to spread all across the city. In the park, grass and trees were sparking and igniting rapidly. Chris held his shield strong, more capable of fending off the rain than Marian was. Caleb, Nick, and Cara hid out underneath, staring in awe at a side of their friend they'd never known.

"See what I mean!" Caleb spoke up. "We're safer with you, man!"

Chris had to admit he was right. Here, Chris could protect them from Zackwell's attacks. Still, he needed to face him.

"Come out, Zackwell!" Chris commanded to the air. "Stop hiding behind your attacks and face me like a man!"

_But I am more than a man, son._ Zackwell answered. _I'm not just out for a silly revenge. I have far greater plans in mind: total domination, and it will begin with the burning of this miserable city._

"Not if I can help it!"

_But you can't!_ Zackwell laughed. _You're completely helpless to stop me!_

"Come down here and say that!"

_Okay._

BOOM! The ground erupted underneath Chris's feet and Zackwell shot up under him, carrying him into the sky and throwing him back down into the flames. Chris jumped up and emitted an energy wave, clearing out the flames around him, giving him somewhere to stand. Zackwell landed nearby. The fiery rain stopped.

"Pathetic." Zackwell spat. "To think that you would give up your might for a human life. How sad."

"Aren't you forgetting, Zackwell?" Chris asked. "You created me to be the most powerful being on earth."

"Aren't you forgetting, son? My project failed."

Zackwell lunged at him with the utmost fury. Chris jumped to the side, but Zackwell teleported into place and kicked him down. "You're weak!" he shouted, teleporting and kicking again.

Chris regathered himself and attacked Zackwell, who teleported yet again. Chris turned and blocked his next attack just in time and fired a white ray. Zackwell blocked it with frightening ease and kicked blasted him away with a dark wave. Zackwell rushed over to him and kicked him in the air, then punched him hard in the face three times and performed a furious spinning kick.

"What's the matter!" He asked of Chris, who was pushing himself to his feet. "Don't remember me being so powerful? You caught me by surprise last time, but now, I'm not holding back. When you gave up your dark side, you gave up your ability to overpower me and now, you're nothing but another warrior of light, which I am so wonderful at defeating."

Zackwell emitted another great black ray that trapped Chris in a world of paralyzing pain. Zackwell extended his other hand and spiritually grabbed the fires nearby. Swinging his hand towards Chris, Zackwell caused the flames to jump and wrap around Chris's body, scorching him alive.

"BURN!" Zackwell seethed.

Suddenly, Chris rocketed out of the flames, right at Zackwell. The demon took the hit and worked with it, landing on his back and flipping Chris over his head and into a tree. The boy got back up as quickly as he could.

Zackwell unleashed another surprising assault. He leapt at Chris and kicked, then teleported and reappeared right where he was, but in mid-punch, catching Chris by surprise. Zackwell repeated this action over and over, rapidly teleporting to the near-same spot, but each time he reappeared, he was swinging a new punch or kick. He struck Chris dozens of times in mere seconds before finally unleashing his mightier punches, full of rage. He gave a great direct punch, knocking Chris back into the tree, then another, and the third finally broke the tree and Chris was knocked backwards a good ways. He landed hard.

Chris used his magic to try and heal himself, but he still felt every attack laid upon him. It wasn't over.

Zackwell shot out a black whip, created from thin air, and grabbed Chris with it. He picked up the boy and swung him round and round, bashing him through the ground with every rotation at a rapid rate and finally punched him away, then fired a black ball, exploding on contact.

Chris was really hurt now and could barely find the strength to heal himself.

"Is this it?" Zackwell laughed. "I thought you at least had more endurance than this!"

Chris's friends were watching the whole scene.

"We have to do something!" Cara said. "Zackwell's tearing him apart!"

"Yeah, but what _can_ we do?" Caleb asked. "Zackwell doesn't care about us! He'll tear us to shreds before we can even try anything!"

"But we can't just watch!"

Caleb sighed. "Look, the Dragoons should come soon…I hope…"

As Chris stood again, Zackwell smiled. "Now do you see how helpless you are?" He swung his fist up. Chris jumped back just as the ground exploded from under him. Zackwell teleported to behind him and kicked him forward. As soon as Chris hit the ground, that spot exploded too, and Zackwell kicked him forward.

This time, Chris unleashed his white wings and flew into the sky, avoiding any further ground assaults. Zackwell jumped up into the air as well. He lifted his hand and the flames nearby grew higher, blocking Chris's view of his foe. Zackwell created the black whip again and caught Chris in it. He yanked him forward, then punched him back, and repeated the process several times.

"It's like a child's toy!" Zackwell laughed. He swung down, wrapping the whip around a tree and flew into a kick, but Chris had extended his own foot and the kicks connected, bouncing them both away. Chris cut the whip with his magic and fired a torrent of magic blasts.

Zackwell covered himself and took the hits. "It'll take more than that boy."

"I know!" Chris jumped up and planted a straight kick to Zackwell's chest, knocking him back for once. But when he tried to follow through, Zackwell teleported into yet another attack. This time, he combined a powerful punch with a dark magic ball, exploding a split second after Chris was knocked away. He hit the ground hard.

Zackwell landed nearby. "You can't beat me, boy, so I'm going to give you a choice…come back to me…or perish here and now."

Chris healed himself again, still feeling the pain, and looked Zackwell in the eye. "You'll never imprison me again."

Zackwell smiled. "Then I'll kill you."

"You'll try."

Zackwell chuckled, but was suddenly blown away by a great blast. He jumped back to his feet and looked up, seeing the Dragoons rush at him.

"Dang it all!" Zackwell blasted. He jumped away from Chris and began avoiding their onslaughts. Now, he had a formidable opponent.

Cara rushed to Chris when the coast was clear, followed closely by Nick and Caleb. "Are you okay!" She asked.

"I will be." Chris sighed. He looked up as Christie landed in front of him.

"Chris!"

"I'm fine." He said quickly. "Don't worry."

"You don't look fine!" Christie observed.

Chris shook his head. "I don't understand it…I could barely touch him! If you guys hadn't shown up…I don't know what would've happened."

"Well don't worry…we'll take care of him now."

He didn't like it, but he didn't have a choice. "Okay."

Zackwell knew he could not be distracted from his task. "I don't have time for you all!" He bellowed as he teleported. He reappeared and kicked Chris away, then turned to his friends with a black grin. "Hello." He jumped into the air and raised the fire about the park, wrapping it around the three humans, trapping them in a fiery circle. "No one move!" Zackwell hollered.

Sean saw the hostage situation and shouted, "Hold up! Hold up!" The Dragoons all stopped and hovered.

"You Dragoons will stay out of this!" Zackwell commanded. "This is between me and the boy!"

Chris was horrified. His three companions were trapped in Zackwell's grip and if he made any move to aid them, Zackwell would surely end their lives. Zackwell leered down at him, boring holes in Chris's spirit.

"You chose the life of a human and will now suffer the consequences of their kind. Humans are susceptible to a terrible choice with terrible outcomes at stake. They grow too attached to other humans, much as you have, and fear for their lives. Demons care not for others and cannot be so persuaded. But you gave up that power and now find yourself right in the downfall of any human: the ultimate choice."

Chris could not see this ending well.

"I'm giving you one more ultimatum, boy." Zackwell continued. "You can either surrender yourself back to me and unlock your full potential, becoming the greatest creature on the planet. Or…you can watch these three humans burn. This is your choice, son! What is more important to you? Your freedom…or their lives!"

The Dragoons turned to Chris. Everything suddenly rested on his shoulders.

As for Chris, he couldn't picture a worse scenario. These three humans had done nothing but help him through his transition. He cared deeply for each and every one of them and could never throw their lives away.

But then again…if he gave himself up to Zackwell, he would mold him into a monster greater than anyone had ever seen…or could he break free again? He didn't know, and the clock was ticking.

"This is bad." Caleb trembled. "Very bad."

"What do you think he'll do?" Cara asked.

"He can't give himself up!" Nick said. "If he does that, Zackwell will get just what he wants, and that's never a good thing, right?"

"But I don't think it'll be easy for Chris to just give our lives up." Caleb said. "Even if it is for the greater good."

Chris looked around from Zackwell, to his friends, to the dragoons, and back to Zackwell. This couldn't be happening to him.

"Choose quickly, boy! I have little patience today."

Chris looked around one more time, then at the ground. It was hopeless. Finally, he looked up. "You have to swear to me that they won't be hurt!"

The Dragoons cringed. Zackwell smiled.

"Chris, no!" Nick shouted from below. "If you do that, Zackwell will have full control of you and we'll all die anyway!"

"Didn't you hear the boy?" Zackwell said. "He wants me to swear not to harm you, and that I'll do."

"No!" Chris interjected. "Not that simple. You have to make the Demon's Pact!"

Zackwell was surprised by that one. "Ah, so you do remember a few things from your darker days…" He thought for a moment. "Alright then, what have I to lose? I Zackwell, hereby enact the Demon's Pact. My son shall be returned to me and in return, I solemnly swear as a demon, and under the limits of my existence, that these three humans will not be harmed. If such an event should occur, the Pact will be broken and all will be reinstated as it was before the Pact was formed…so help me, Lucifer."

Then, Zackwell's right index finger glowed and he created a burning red X over his heart, which soon faded away. Zackwell grinned. The fire around the humans vanished, but they still couldn't move in utter shock.

Chris felt tears welling up in his eyes. "Ca-can I at last say goodbye?"

Zackwell thought for a second, then shrugged. "Nah." He shot out his hand, emitting a black beam that pierced through Chris's body and soul. Using all his remaining energy, Chris turned to the Dragoons. "I'm sorry!" He said, and then his voice was lost to them. His right wing grew stained and darker until it was fully black. His right eye once more shone red with its full evil and the dark veins began to bulge once again. Chris looked around at the Dragoons, his eyes now filled with disgust and loathing.

Christie was already weeping. Ben was near the same. Caleb swore in anger as Cara cried. Nick could only stare. The other Dragoons were silent.

"That was fun." Zackwell sighed. "And it's not done! Now, I can finally initiate the third phase of my plan! Now it's your turn, Dragoons!"

"What?" Sean asked.

"You are human too, after all, and you are also faced with a terrible choice." He descended to the ground with a clever grin. "Now here comes your own ultimatum. What's more important to you, Dragoons? Flying high and fighting evil…or your children's lives?"

With a wave of his hand, a black cage appeared with three tiny humans trapped inside. The Dragoons instantly recognized them as Eric McMann, Mark Freeman, and Sabrina Sparks-the children of the Dragoons.

"Oh, God!" Melissa jumped. The others also felt a twinge shoot through them unlike anything they'd ever felt.

"Let them go!" Brad demanded first.

"Shut up, Brad!" Brittany snapped. "He could hurt her!"

"What do you want, Zackwell!" Sean demanded.

"Everything. I want to own this world, but you Dragoons have ALWAYS been in my way! Well, this time, I will finally render you asunder. I can't beat you by force, so I will force you into a corner. If you want your children to live," his lips widened into an immense, giddy grin, his teeth dripping with malice. "You must surrender your Dragoon Spirits to me."

Silence ensued.

"No…" Ben whispered.

Sean bit his lip. Was this choice too strong to make? He looked back at his Dragoon companions. The mothers and fathers had pain in their eyes while the others could only empathize. What could they do?

The Dragoons looked up at Sean, their eyes pleading. Sean found himself at the most difficult decision of his life. He was the leader. He had to make the call.

"Hurry up!" Zackwell snapped. Sean turned back.

"If we do this…you have to swear not to hurt them. You have to make that Demon's Pact again!"

Zackwell rolled his eyes. "So untrusting these days. Fine! I, Zackwell, hereby enact the Demon's Pact. The Dragoons will hand their Dragoon Spirits over to me and in exchange, I solemnly swear as a demon, and under the limits of my existence, that I will neither harm, nor kill their children. If I fail to adhere to these rules, then the pact is broken and the Dragoon Spirits will instantly be transported back to the hands of their bearers, so help me, Lucifer." He made the X over his heart again. "Happy? Now everyone hand your Dragoon Spirit to Sean and he will hand them all to me-and don't combining their powers again, Sean! If I see so much as a glimmer in those spirits, I will tear your son's head from his shoulders!"

Sean flinched at the mere threat. He could not risk that. Slowly, he descended to the ground. The other Dragoons followed. With dim glows, the Dragoons transformed back into their human selves. One by one, they removed the spirits from around their necks and one by one, they handed them to their leader. Sean saw them all hesitate just before handing them over. They were signing a grave contract here. Without their powers, how could they defend the world? Still…they could not endure the alternative.

When he had all eight, Sean turned to Zackwell, trying not too look at the malicious grin upon his face. His steps were slow and labored, trying to think of some way out of this, but he could think of nothing. Finally, he took that last step and extended his hand.

Zackwell snatched the Dragoon spirits by their necklaces and let out an evil laugh unlike anything they'd ever heard.

"This is incredible!" He cackled. "Powerless at last! Ha, ha, HA!" With that last laugh, he swung a shockwave, knocking Sean back to his friends. Without his armor, the attack felt much more potent. Still, Sean got to his feet.

"Now let our kids go!"

Zackwell grinned all the more. "No."

The Dragoons were shocked.

"YOU SWORE!" Sean bellowed.

"I swore they would not get harmed, and they won't be! But they'll be living with me now, in Mayfil."

Sean seethed. "YOU-!"

"Careful! There are children present!" He laughed. "Don't worry, ex-Dragoons! I'm giving you a chance to retrieve them! If you want your children and your Dragoon spirits back, you must come for them yourselves to my castle." A black cylinder appeared in his hand and he tossed it to the Dragoons. "In there, you'll find several maps. There are three routes you can take to Mayfil, but there's a catch. You won't all be going together. You'll split into three groups and meet back near Mayfil-if you survive that long."

Sean could barely believe what he was hearing. "Is this some sort of game!"

"Of course! Now that you're powerless, I'm going to play with you a while-see how long you can survive on your own."

"Ooh…" Sean was stewing in his hatred. "Zackwell, I am gonna skewer you for this."

"You'll try, I'm sure. Now remember: three groups, pair up as you like. I'll be back at five o'clock tonight. That gives you a few hours to decide your routes, pack up, all that meaningless stuff that will have no point once you're dead. I'll take you to your starting point. Meet me in that clearing you're all so fond of." He smirked. "But until that time…you get to watch your city burn!"

The dark fire began to fall hard again and Zackwell let out an evil cackle. "First my son, then your children, and now your powers! All is in my hands!" He laughed. Then, he found out he was wrong.

A thunderbolt lashed from the sky and the fire stopped raining. Instead, it was replaced by _real_ rain. A rainstorm picked up suddenly and powerfully. It was a torrential downpour that soaked everyone and everything instantly. All the fires in the city began to drown at a surprising rate.

"What the!" Zackwell demanded. "What is this! How is this…" Suddenly, he know. "Oh…" He glared at the sky. "You stay out of this! This is my time!"

A lightning bold lanced from the sky and struck the ground next to Zackwell, making him jump. A few more danced in the sky. This was no joke.

Zackwell seethed. "Fine! This is far from over anyway." With a snap of his fingers, he was gone, along with his son and the children of the Dragoons.

* * *

Sean threw the door open to his house as he and the other Dragoons stormed in to get out of the rain. Once he was inside, Sean punched a wall, then slammed the countertop.

"I'm with him!" Ben snapped.

"Me too!" Brad erupted. He punched a wall, even though it wasn't his own. "I'll KILL him!"

"Not if I get to him first!" Brittany challenged.

"Save some for me!" Melissa seethed.

They all had to take a moment to brew in their anger before Sean spoke.

"Okay…I know this is a bad time for suggestions, and I'm really not one to talk on this matter…but we all gotta calm down for a minute so that we can get this matter worked out."

Fortunately, they all knew he was right.

"Zackwell's toying with us, but we'll play his game and turn this around somehow. I don't know how, but I do know that even without our Dragoon Spirits, we're still the Dragoons! We'll beat this one way or another!"

They all agreed.

"So what do we do?" Christie asked.

"Just what Zackwell said. Split up and take those three routes. Let's look at the maps."

The maps showed how each route would be laid out. All three routes would go parallel to one-another across uncivilized lands, then meet up at a certain point, where they could all march upon Mayfil itself.

"Craziness…" Brad grumbled.

"But we have no choice." Sean muttered. "So who wants to go where?"

"That looks like a volcano." Ben pointed to the first path. "Kinda my territory, right? I'll go there."

"I'll be with him." Robert spoke up. "Lotsa grasslands and forested areas, so I'll do well there."

"I'll take this path." Mike pointed to the third. "It's very mountainous, so I'm probably best-suited for it."

"Alright then." Sean nodded. "Who else?"

"Lotsa lakes and stuff in that middle path." Brittany pointed out. "My specialty…except that cave there seems ominous."

"I'm not afraid of it." Melissa spat. "I'll go with you."

"So will I." Christie said. "Three angry mothers-what can stop us?" They managed a chuckle.

"Hey," Brad spoke up. "Maybe Jenn and Marian should go with Mike and Rob since they're less experienced."

"Good point." Sean said. "Okay, so we have Rob, Ben, and Marian on this path, Mike and Jenn on this one, and Christie, Brittany, and Melissa in the middle. That leaves just Brad and myself. One team's gonna be uneven."

"I'll go with Mike." Brad said. "His strength and my speed should make for a good combination."

"Good." Sean nodded. "That just leaves me…the volcano seems most dangerous, so I'll go with Ben, Rob, and Marian. That settles it."

"That was quick." Brittany noticed.

"We're in a hurry." Sean sighed. "Speaking of which, everyone come with me!"

He ran to the basement and the Dragoons followed.

"We don't have our powers, but I think I can give you the next best thing." He opened a closet and slid back the back wall-a secret panel. "I had the winglies make these a good while ago and nearly forgot about them. I had them made for a time like this." He grabbed a katana and gave it to Ben. "Swing it around."

Ben did so and the blade suddenly glowed red. "Whoa."

"Feel it."

Ben touched the blade and recoiled his hand. "It's hot!"

"It's infused with the power of fire. I had the winglies make weapons for us of each of our elements so that we could still use those elemental properties to our advantage. We'll also take a bunch of attack items with us. I've saved up a bunch in a big stash back here." He began searching and handing out weapons.

"You come in handy." Melissa smiled, admiring her new dark rapier.

* * *

The Dragoons packed lightly, equipping themselves with their new weapons, many items, and little else. When the time came, they went to the clearing. At five o'clock sharp, Zackwell as there.

"Well, you all got ready quickly, didn't you? Well, let's get the game underway, shall we?" He spread his hands and they all teleported. When the smoke settled, they were in a grassy plain. "Alright, now head on out, I can't wait to see you try to overcome the odds." Zackwell was giddy.

"Remember," Sean spoke up. "You can't hurt them."

"No, but I doubt you want them being raised by a demon." He grinned deviously. "Farewell for now…enjoy your miserable deaths…I know I will." And with a puff of smoke, he was gone.

"Well…" Sean sighed. "Let's get at it."

"Be careful." Melissa told him.

"I will." Sean took his wife and kissed her tenderly. "You too."

Brittany addressed Brad. "If you get to Zackwell first, save some pieces for me to kick around, okay?"

"I'll try." Brad laughed before giving her one last long kiss.

Christie wrapped her arms around Ben. "Don't go dying on me."

"Same to you." He kissed her.

They all said their last goodbyes and headed out, little pawns in Zackwell's game.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: First off, sorry about the wait. My keyboard is busted on my laptop and replacements aren't easy to come by. I had to order a new one for 50 bucks, and now I gotta wait for it and then try to figure out how to install it! I finally got ahold of this much-less cool computer with a keyboard that's giving me carpal-tunnel syndrome!...okay, I'm done ranting.

Now, I need y'all's help. This next portion is up to you guys. There are three groups of Dragoons to cover. Which should we cover first? You guys get to decide! I can follow Sean, Ben, Marian, and Robert; Christie, Melissa, and Brittany; or Mike, Jenn, and Brad. Which story would you like to hear first. Each Dragoon group will go through their own trials and come across great and terrible surprises at each turn. The next chapter depends on your vote, and I won't start writing until I know what the majority wants. In the case of a tie, I'll figure something out. Thanks for reading-please review and tell me what you'd like to see next!


	13. Secrets of the Woods

OPENING NOTES: Looks like the "angry mamas" won. I'll write thier version first, and it looks like Mike, Brad, and Jenn came in second, then Sean, Ben, Rob, and Marian at the end. I'll go with that order unless the situation changes. Enjoy for now.

Chapter Thirteen: Secrets of the Forest

"Brittany!" Melissa called at the top of her lungs. "Brittany! Hurry up already!" Brittany was swimming again in one of the many lakes the girls had passed. She really loved the water.

Christie put her hand on Melissa's shoulder. "Let her stay for just a little bit longer. She's really enjoying herself."

"Obviously, but this isn't exactly the time for fun."

"I know, but…it takes her mind off the situation, you know?"

Melissa became. "Alright."

It was only a moment later when Brittany splashed her way out of the lake and rejoined the girls. "Sorry 'bout that. Had to enjoy myself for a moment, you know."

"I know." Christie smiled warmly.

The three ladies had been traveling for just over a week. So far, it had been easy crossing over the beautiful, emerald grasslands. There were many water sources that they either had to go around or swim through. Brittany usually begged for the latter. It was her way of coping with the situation.

Each of the women was worried sick about her child. They knew Zackwell couldn't harm them, but what sick games was he playing with them? After all, they were still young and impressionable. They just kept reassuring themselves that they would reach Zackwell's castle, take their children back, and show Zackwell why he should not mess with the Dragoons…once they got their Dragoon Spirits back, of course. They were continually forgetting their lack of power.

Brittany's swimming kept her mind at ease, focusing it on something else. Melissa felt better every time she killed a wild animal for which to cook and eat with her friends, as well as the many threats upon Zackwell's existence. Christie? Well…not talking about it seemed to do the trick.

For a time, all she could talk about how she had lost two children in the same day. Mark was taken prisoner and Chris…not much different. Christie spoke of how Chris had been given a chance at a new life, a chance to be a normal human, which he'd wanted for so long. But now, he was back to the old killing machine and Christie knew he must be weeping in his spiritual prison.

Melissa and Brittany had their own issues, of course, but they both knew that Christie was suffering more than they were, so they comforted her to the best of their abilities. Somehow, being around her two closest friends allowed Christie to buck up a bit. She was determined to reset the situation and end Zackwell once and for all.

"I wonder what everybody else is doing." Brittany said as they got ready to hit the trail again. Their feet had adjusted to the endless walks by now.

"Mike's probably lost in the mountains." Melissa chuckled weakly. "Hope he's alright."

"Same with Brad." Brittany sighed. "The others? Who knows? Could be at that volcano by now, maybe further with Sean in the lead."

Melissa scoffed. "If he gets himself killed, I swear I'll strangle him."

They chuckled, but once more, it was a nervous one. They were all quite worried despite their efforts. However, this day would hold several surprises for them.

In the afternoon, they came upon a thick jungle. The women pushed through underbrush and vines, an easy passage after years of navigating through the unforgiving woods back home.

Christie slapped the back of her neck. "I really don't like bugs…especially the annoying, biting ones…and I really hope they're not carrying any diseases or anything."

"What's your worry?" Melissa asked. "You can just cure it with…" She stopped and sighed. "I really took our Dragoon Spirits for granted, didn't I?"

"We all did." Christie said. "I feel so weak without it. I mean I'm holding up okay and I can do well on my own, but…I just literally feel like I've been drained of my energy."

"It's the walk." Brittany tried. "We've been out here doing this for too long…once we have our Dragoon Spirits back, I'm never walking again…and I'm knocking Zackwell's head off with my mallet!"

"Killing Zackwell seems to be driving us pretty hard." Melissa said with a smirk. "It's just so fun to imagine that I can't wait to do it myself."

"If he hurt Mark…" Christie muttered, not for the first time. "If he even laid a hand upon his body…he'd better start praying fast."

Brittany climbed up on a rock and jumped through a small opening between trees to get around all the brush Melissa was trying to hack through.

"Ooh! A clearing!" Brittany said. "And a pond!"

"Again?" Melissa sighed.

"Hey, don't you feel all hot and yucky too?"

"Aren't you used to it?"

"Yeah, but should I have to be?"

"Brittany, we have to keep going."

"Actually." Christie pushed. "I'm really tired from going through this jungle all day. Can we rest here, just for a moment?"

Melissa didn't want to admit that she was tired, but agreed anyway. "Alright, but not for too long, okay?"

The other girls nodded and Brittany began swimming. Christie took off her shoes and put her feet in the water. She was feeling better already. Melissa let her hand drift in the pond a little, and then splashed her face with it.

Brittany did one lap before looking at the other girls. They looked awful somber. They had a right to be, but…Brittany preferred smiles. She swam a little closer and shoved her hands forward, splashing Christie hard.

"Whoa!" She jumped. "What was-?" Before she could finish, she was splashed again. "Hey! Knock it off!"

Brittany agreed and turned to Melissa, who was glaring daggers.

"Don't you-" _SPLASH!_ Melissa closed her eyes and seethed as water dripped from her hair. "You…little…" _SPLASH!_ "OH! That's it! I'm gonna mangle you!"

"Come and get me!" Brittany swam to the middle of the pond, where Melissa couldn't reach.

"Don't think I won't!" Melissa shed her outer clothing. All three girls had swimsuits underneath, since they'd be going bypassing many lakes. She jumped into the pond and began swimming after Brittany. However, Brit was the better swimmer and was easily avoiding Melissa.

Brittany looked back and saw how far ahead she was and grinned. Suddenly, _SPLASH!_ Brittany looked forward again and saw that Christie had jumped into the pond right in front of her.

"Yipe!" Brittany yelped. Christie lunged at her, but Brittany turned away, forgetting that Melissa was right behind her. She was trapped. "Uh-oh!"

"Uh-oh is right!" Melissa grabbed her and Christie helped. Together, they dunked the girl. Brittany thrashed her way away and fought back, tackling Christie down into the water. Melissa rushed after her.

The three of them went at it, dunking and tackling one another over and over until they were too weary. Then, the strangest thing happened. One by one, they began laughing. Soon, even as they were getting dunked, they laughed.

A few minutes later, they were all gasping for breath from being dunked so often and from simple exhaustion. However…

"Gosh!" Melissa chuckled. "I haven't had that kinda fun in a good while." Then it hit her. Melissa and Christie were both thinking it, but Christie was the one to say it.

"Thanks, Brittany…I guess we needed that."

"You're welcome." Brittany replied. "You guys looked so glum, I had to do something."

"Always one to lift spirits, eh?" Melissa chuckled. "I suppose it comes in handy. Thanks from me, too."

Brittany nodded in response. "We gotta keep our morale up if we're going to beat Zackwell, right? I just do what I can."

"We'll try to keep that in mind." said Melissa. "But we should get going again."

"You're right. Come on."

The girls swam back to shore and began to re-dress themselves. A distant rustle in the leaves caught their attention, as well as the sudden swarm of fleeing birds. Then, they heard a low rumble and felt a bit of a tremble. Then they felt it again, then again. Each time, it was getting louder and they felt more of a rumble.

"What is that?" Christie asked. "Can't be an earthquake."

_Boom…boom…boom…_

Animals were scattering.

"Whatever it is, it can't be good." Brittany groaned. They quickly finished dressing and got their weapons ready just in case. Then, it came.

_BOOM…BOOM…BOOM…_

It stepped through the trees, pushing them out of its way. It was massive, fifteen feet tall, black skin and red eyes. It almost looked human, but its figure was dark, twisted, and contorted, much like the zombies Zackwell had created. Only this one was much larger, much nastier, and held a long spear.

"What…is…THAT!" Melissa exclaimed.

It looked down upon them and raised its spear.

"RUN!" Christie shouted just before the giant zombie hurled its weapon. The girls dove out of the way.

Seeing it was weaponless, Melissa took her chances. "Let's see how tough it really is." She ran at the monster and sliced at its leg, doing absolutely nothing. She ran back and tried again, but still no movement. Finally, she ducked under a swipe and stabbed. Her weapon was specifically designed to pierce, so it slid into the beast's skin. The giant zombie roared and swiped at her. Melissa had to roll away, but her weapon was so imbedded in the monster that it stayed in place as she rolled. Melissa had to dodge another attack to get close enough and yank on her rapier. It didn't move. The monster glared down at her and raised its fist. Melissa put her feet on the monster's leg and yanked as hard as she could. The rapier slid free just in time to elude the fist coming at her.

Christie put and arrow to the string and fired. It cut into the monster's skin due to the arrow's light properties, but didn't do sufficient damage. The monster seethed and yanked the arrow out, the rushed at Christie. She rolled away. "This thing's not stopping!" The creature found its spear and picked it back up, then turned back to the girls.

"What do we do?" Brittany asked. "We can't hurt it like this!"

Melissa considered. "It's big, it's bad, it's resilient, and it's got a giant spear…run!" She turned and fled. The other two girls took a second to analyze this and followed as the spear flew over their heads, missing them by inches.

The girls ran as fast as they could. They figured that the monster's bulk would slow it down. They were wrong, very wrong. The giant zombie bounded like after them like a deer, only slightly hesitating to grab its spear. The girls were still very fast, however, and wouldn't stop for anything. However, the giant zombie only had to hack its way through all the obstacles.

Finally, the girls ran right into a dead end.

"Oh boy." Brittany groaned. They turned back to see the zombie rushing towards them. "Not good!"

The monster slammed its spear in the ground and the girls jumped back. Then, the monster swung a mighty backhand, knocking all three girls through the dead end. They rolled for a good ways before getting back onto their feet, looking back at the zombie. That's when the confusion began.

They were looking at it through a type of screen, or so it seemed. The zombie seemed confused. It looked around for a little while, then left, searching around.

"Huh?" Melissa asked.

"Uh…guys?" Brittany asked. They turned to see what she wanted and saw what she saw. They weren't quite in the forest anymore. It looked like a sort of civilization with homes built all about the trees and rocks. The homes were odd, but familiar to the Dragoon girls, and the reason why stood right in front of them: the inhabitants of the forest village.

"Winglies!" Christie was shocked.

"Humans!" They replied.

"In here!"

"How! What's going on!"

"Guys!" Brittany thought of something. "This must be where Caron took all the winglies!"

"They've broken the seal!" One wingly said.

"Intruders! They probably brought an army with them!" Said another.

"They've come to kill us all!" Said a third.

"Not if we kill them first!" Another said.

Melissa gulped. "Looks like you were wrong, Brit."

"We have to extinguish them before they do so to us!" The winglies were gathering in anger.

"Get them!"

Suddenly, a regal voice boomed over the crowd. "Nobody move!" All winglies froze. With a flash, a new wingly appeared in front of them. He was different, they could tell by the clothes he wore. He was probably a high official. This wingly stood tall and proud with shoulder-length hair, piercing eyes, a smooth complexion, and an authoritative tone.

"Humans. How did you enter our village?"

The girls looked at each other, then back at the wingly.

"We haven't the foggiest." Brittany said honestly. "We didn't even know there was a village here!"

"We live here in secrecy." The lead wingly said. "No one can pass through that seal except for winglies because their magic activates the portal…it is impossible for humans to wield such magic."

The girls just shrugged.

The leader thought for a moment, then his eyes glowed green. After a moment of pondering, he asked a question.

"Have you encountered any winglies before?"

"Yeah." Melissa said, standing up.

"Did they cast any spells on you?"

"A couple of times." Melissa chuckled. "They, uh…restored our souls to us once…oh, and they cast a spell to protect us from soul thieves recently."

"And that spell is still circulating around you?"

"It should be."

"That explains it them. The seal recognized the magic of a wingly and you passed through as if you were one…not unheard of…but certainly not common. Non-winglies have not passed through our gates for centuries.

"Where is this place?"

"A hidden wingly sanctuary. We keep ourselves here, safe from vile humans."

"Vile humans?" Brittany asked.

"Humans are unkind to winglies, surely you know this."

"Well…kind of." Said Christie.

"This village has kept our people safe for many millennia."

Brittany's eyes narrowed. "We there someone who lived her a long time ago by the name of Meru?"

The wingly leader was stunned. "You know of Meru?"

"She was a Dragoon…the Blue-Sea Dragoon."

"Yes, she left this village when she was young and came back a Dragoon, but that was ages ago. How do you know about this?"

"Because I'm the Dragoon who succeeded her." That brought a murmur through the crowd.

"She's telling the truth." Said Melissa. "We're all Dragoons."

"Then where are your Dragoon spirits?" The leader asked.

"They were taken from us by Zackwell. We're on a journey to get them back."

"Zackwell…" The leader repeated. "We've noticed a lot of his activity lately. He has plagued our ancient lands with his malice. You Dragoons have now lost your power to him?"

"Yeah, but we're walking to his castle in Mayfil to take them back. Then we ran into some kind of monster out in the woods and he chased us until we found our way here."

"That is the issue that still confuses me. How have you encountered winglies before?"

"Well, we've actually been in alliance with the Spring Breath Town for…over fifteen years."

"Ulara? That city is still thriving?"

The girls were hesitant.

"Uh…not…quite." Christie said. "Zackwell destroyed it a couple months ago."

"He did?"

"Caron, their leader, rounded up the wingly survivors and they left for a safe haven, though they wouldn't tell us where it was."

"We thought this might be the place." Brittany said.

The leader shook his head. "I am afraid not. No foreigners have come in here except for your three. However, it is good to know that there are still winglies out there."

"We thought the Ularians were the last ones." Melissa said.

"No, our group still finds shelter here. Speaking of which," he turned to the winglies. "They are of no harm to us. They may pass safely." The other winglies knew to obey. He turned back to the Dragoons. "My name is Cameron. I am the leader of these winglies."

"Oh, well that explains a lot." Melissa shook his hand. "I'm Melissa, this is Christie, and that's Brittany."

"Hi-o." Brittany said, cheerful as ever.

"Hello." Cameron returned. As he shook her hand, Melissa thought she saw an odd look in his eyes, but she dropped it. "It is a pleasure to meet you all. Have you been Dragoons for long?"

"Since we were teenagers." Melissa said. "Seems so long ago…"

"And you are on a quest to reclaim your stolen powers?"

"Not just that," Christie said. "Our children were also taken by Zackwell. He can't hurt them, but…I'd hate to see what he _can_ do to them."

"That's an interesting dilemma." Cameron mused. "How could this have happened?"

"It's a very long story."

"I would very much like to hear it, though. If there's trouble brewing, any information could be helpful to our people. If need be, you may stay in our village for safety."

The girls looked at one another.

"Can we?" Brittany asked eagerly.

"Well…we really need to keep moving." Melissa said.

"One night then." Cameron offered. "To give you enough time to refresh yourselves and head out in the morning."

"Sounds good to me!" Brittany said quickly.

"I'm alright with it." Christie offered.

Melissa shrugged. "Okay, one night."

Cameron smiled. "Excellent."

"What do you mean they disappeared!" Darteth demanded.

"They vanished." The oversize zombie reported. "Like magic."

"That's impossible. The Dragoons are powerless!"

"Perhaps they had outside help." Zackwell muttered. With his magic, he brought up a map of where the girls had been last seen. "They were about here, I believe." Zackwell made a dot. "And then they vanished." He rubbed his chin, pondering. "Darteth, you'll have to investigate the matter yourself. Search that forest high and low for any trace of the Dragoons."

Darteth nodded and was gone in a puff of black smoke.

Zackwell turned to Melbu Frahma. "And what do your department? Any irregularities?"

"Similar situation. The Thunder Dragoon and the Earth Dragoon's widow have vanished into the mountains somewhere, but I'll find them."

Zackwell's eyes perked. "Did I hear you use the word 'widow'?"

Melbu smiled.

The Dragoon girls spent much time explaining everything to Cameron, about Zackwell, Melbu, Darteth, Chris, and the current situation. The wingly leader was very intrigued to know everything. He was saddened by the loss of Ulara, but grateful that some still lived.

When it was all over, Cameron led the girls to a small place with enough beds for them.

"BED!" Brittany declared, jumping into one. "Oh…it's ever so soft…"

Cameron had to chuckle. "I'm glad it pleases you."

"We've been sleeping in the dirt for several days." Christie sighed, flopping down onto another bed. "This is wonderful."

"Mm…heaven." Brittany cooed, stretching her limbs about the mattress. "Thank you so much, Cameron."

"My pleasure. Rest up, you all seem to need it."

"You bet." Melissa fell onto her own bed and sighed in content. "Ahh…"

"You ladies have been through a lot it seems." Cameron said.

"We're Dragoons. We can take it."

"Of course. By the way, I never asked. Which Dragoons are you?"

Melissa raised her hand. "Darkness."

"Powerful." Cameron mused.

"Light." Christie spoke up.

"Helpful."

"Water!" Brittany put in.

"Enchanting."

"Oh, well, thank you!"

"Don't flatter yourself." Melissa said.

Cameron chuckled, and then shook his head. "I still cannot believe that you eight are going up against such a force even without your powers."

"We have no choice." Melissa told him. "We need our Dragoon Spirits to do our jobs as Dragoons, which we've grown very accustomed to doing. More importantly, though, it's a matter of our children's safety."

"Ah, yes…I wish there were something I could do to help."

"Well…you could fight."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Help us fight! Your winglies will help us make a sizeable stand against Zackwell."

"And his dark horde? That is much more than our forces can handle at the moment."

"But it will certainly help. Like you said, it's only us eight humans against him right now."

"I am sorry, Melissa, but it is up to me to keep our people safe."

"The same went for Charle and Caron, but they both used their resources to help us."

"And look where it got them."

All three Dragoons girls felt a nasty sting from that remark. Cameron continued.

"The Ularians helped you and yes, that sounds noble, but in the end, Zackwell rendered them asunder. Now they are fleeing, beaten and broken. Even we winglies are no match for Zackwell and his forces. I cannot endanger my people."

"We're endangering ours, aren't we?" Melissa shot back. "You can only hide so long, Cameron. If Zackwell beats us, then he'll scour this earth on every corner to wipe out everyone and everything. He'll find you soon enough."

"We shall see." He said. "Now, that is enough on the matter. Good night, ladies." He left the room at that.

"He's an okay guy." Brittany said.

"But afraid." Melissa sighed, sitting down. "Well, what can you expect?"

Darkness soon covered the little wingly community. It was a lovely night, though. A half-full moon reigned over the sky, surrounded by its tiny star companions against the black and blue mural.

Brittany observed it all, staring out the window of their room. It was so peaceful and quiet here. No wonder Cameron didn't want to leave-not that she was forgetting her mission. It was nice to enjoy a rare beauty, though, especially since Ulara had been destroyed.

Then, she spotted it. A river running through one side of the city, leading into a wooded area. She had to see for herself.

"I'll be back in…later." Brittany said, heading for the door.

"Where are you going?" Melissa asked.

"Pretty river…gotta see up close!" And she was gone.

Brittany trotted through the village and into the forest. Before long, she was staring right at it. It was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen, shimmering intensely in the moonlight. It was like a long, crystal stream. She feared that if she touched it, it might shatter. Brittany just stared in awe, losing all sense of time and surroundings.

"I see you're perfectly fitted to be the Water Dragoon."

Brittany spun and saw Cameron standing not too far away. "Oh! Hi…I didn't hear you come."

"Well, you _were_ in a trance there…what are you doing out here so late?"

"I just looked out and saw this stream and had to see it up close."

Cameron chuckled. "Of course."

"Water looks best at night, especially under a full moon. The moon isn't full now, of course, but it will do. I've never seen anything more beautiful."

Cameron gave a small grin. "I have." He said standing next to her. Brittany was so preoccupied with the scene before her that she didn't notice that Cameron was looking at her when he said that. Then, he noticed something. "Are you alright? You seem twitchy."

"Well, uh…it's just that…well, would it be okay if I, uh…swam in it?"

"Of course, be my guest. Our magic keeps the water pure."

"Yes!" She exalted. She shed her outer clothing once more and dove into the water. It was the perfect temperature. She couldn't have wished for it to be better. Oh! How she wished Brad could see this with her! Just thinking about her husband made her miss him again. She longed to swim beside him in such a beautiful place. She could almost hear his voice now.

He'd probably say something really sweet about how she looked. Like what, she wondered. Probably…oh, that the water looked like a shower of diamonds sliding down her face, and…that her eyes sparkled like crystals in the moonlight. She shivered just thinking about it. Then she heard water sloshing about. She turned and saw Cameron enter the water. She didn't mind.

"The water is always at a great temperature." He said. "Another trick of the winglies."

"You guys can sure do a lot."

"Yes, we can. We thrive to make everything elegant. Even the simplest things." He moved closer to her. "However…some things can just become elegant on their own."

She looked up at him and she thought she saw a shimmer in his eyes.

"My, my." He said. "Your eyes…they are like crystals in the moonlight."

Those crystal eyes suddenly shot open. That was an odd coincidence.

"Um…th-thank you."

"And the water looks like a shower of diamonds sliding down your face." Then he stroked her cheek with his index finger.

Brittany was paralyzed. That was exactly what she'd been wanting to hear, but…not from him! Okay, obviously this guy was a little too fond of her. She needed to stop this now. But…for some reason…she couldn't. The words would not form in her mouth, and they jumbled about in her head. Why was this happening? She was married to Brad! Still…something just…seemed kind of…right about this…but…why?

Cameron moved in closer and Brittany was mesmerized in his gaze. He put a hand on her side and the other on her shoulder. She stared into his cerulean blue eyes, lost in them. And then, he leaned in close to her.

That instant, a little shred of reason flickered in Brittany's mind and her eyes shot open. She ducked under him and moved away.

"I'm…I'm sorry." Then she got out of the water, picked up her clothing and walked away, a bit speedily. Cameron sighed and shook his head.

Brittany made her way back to the room quickly. She wiped away a tear before she entered.

"Hey!" Melissa said. "Back already? We thought you'd be out all night."

Christie noticed it. "You okay? You don't look so well."

"I'm just tired, that's all." Brittany lied. "I'm gonna go lay down for the night, alright? Good night." She went straight for her bed and laid down, facing away from them.

The other two women looked at each other.

"Weird." Melissa whispered. "I wonder what's up."

"Let's ask tomorrow morning." Christie suggested. So they let her alone as she tried to sleep away her nightmare.

"You'd better be right." Melbu said to Darteth as he was led through the jungle past midnight. "I have my own issues to deal with."

"I'm telling you, it's true." Darteth replied. "Right here, there seems to be a dead end, right? But…I can feel something here…can't you?"

Melbu admitted he could. "Strange…it's some sort of wingly magic." He closed his eyes as a symbol glowed on his forehead. He waited for a moment, and then spoke again. "It's a portal! And invisible portal!"

"To what?"  
"A hideout. Winglies always used magical shields to elude themselves from the sight of strangers, just like Ulara was hidden from us. This must be another settlement…or perhaps it is where the remaining Ularians escaped to."

"But how did the Dragoons get in there?"

"I'm not sure…the portals are only supposed to open for winglies because it recognizes their magic…unless…the Dragoons had some sort of wingly magic upon them."

Darteth didn't have to think for too long. "The spell! The one the Dragoons have around them that prevents me from taking their souls so easily."

Melbu's eyes narrowed. "That would be enough. They're inside there now."

"We should go back and get some zombie troops, then take out this city."

Melbu glared at him. "Have you forgotten who I am? I'm not asking for ANY help. Let Zackwell do what he wants, same to you."

He extended his hand and with a flash, the barrier was broken. The wingly city was exposed to them in full. "Spare none." He seethed, drawing his blade.

Melissa woke up to the sounds of panic, disorder, and screams. She got out of bed as the other girls were stirring and looked outside the hall. "Hey!" She shouted at a passerby. "What's going on?"

"We're under attack!"

"What!" Melissa exclaimed.

But the wingly was gone.

"Let's check it out!" Christie said, now wide awake. The three of them ran outside the building and found themselves revisiting a sight they'd hoped never to see again.

Melbu Frahma and Darteth were on the prowl, tearing through the winglies with frightening ease. The warriors fought bravely, but were no match. It was like Ulara again.

"Oh, no…" Christie whispered.

"We have to do something!" Melissa drew her blade.

"You can't!" Cameron said, appearing in front of them. "Without your powers, they will shred you."

"Then what do you suggest we do?"

"Run. Run away. You must escape."

"We can't just leave!" Christie spoke up.

"You must! Everything depends on you reclaiming your stolen powers." He hesitated, and then said it. "I am glade for the time I knew you all."

Brittany turned her head, refusing to make eye contact.

"There they are!" Darteth shouted. He and Melbu turned towards them.

"You must go!" Cameron commanded.

"What about you!"

"Your lives are more important!" Darteth leapt at him, but Cameron used a magical blast to knock him away. Then, he kept that magic going and surrounded them in it.

"I will transport you all to the end of the jungle!" Then he looked at Melissa. "It appears you were correct." Then he said to them all. "I am sorry that our time together was so short," And he looked at Brittany, "But I enjoyed what we had. And I hope to see you again soon…and I hope we will enjoy it more."

Brittany didn't make eye contact. Then, there was a green flash, but before Cameron disappeared from their sight, he said, "Until next time." Then he was gone.

The women looked about them and saw that the jungle was behind them and more grassland was ahead of them.

"They'll be slaughtered." Christie whispered, her lip starting to quiver. "Because we were there."

"Just like Ulara." Brittany whispered.

Melissa looked down and shook her head. "We'll rest out here tonight…and continue in the morning…we have to end this as soon as possible. I'm tired of people suffering for us."

They all were.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: A hidden community of winglies may be no more. Brittany has allowed herself into an uneasy predicament. Sticky situations rising. I'll wrap up the girls' story in the next chapter, then get to the next section. Please review for now.


	14. Still Dragoons

Chapter Fourteen: Still Dragoons

"We tore 'em apart." Darteth chuckled.

"By yourselves?" Zackwell asked, cocking his head. "Is that so?"

"Indeed." Melbu Frahma said.

"And how many escaped? Several, I assume."

"Not enough." Melbu countered. "They were too stubborn to leave quick enough."

"Why was I not informed of this hideaway?"

"You have your own troubles to worry about, don't you Zackwell?" Melbu asked with a sour grin.

"Had I known, I would have sent my zombie soldiers to lessen the number of survivors."

"We can handle ourselves well enough." Melbu sneered.

Zackwell glared at him. "Watch your arrogance, Melbu. It may yet be your undoing."

"Same to you."

* * *

The next morning was a very somber one. The Dragoons had once again succeeded in putting a hidden civilization in harm's way. They didn't know if any winglies had survived or would survive.

Brittany's mind was occupied on more than just that, though. She could not shake Cameron's face from her memory. Who did he think he was, just trying to take what he wanted? She was married! He knew that…didn't he?

What did it matter what he knew? Brittany had acquiesced with hardly a fight. But how could it have happened? She loved Brad, she knew that without a doubt. Yet when Cameron moved in, she didn't stop him. She'd actually _wanted_ him to continue in that moment. Whatever stopped her suddenly, Brittany was glad it happened.

It was obvious that Brittany was dismal. Around noontime, the girls stopped to eat. Brittany, however, would hardly touch her food.

"C'mon, Brit." Melissa encouraged. "You can't just sulk all day. Eat something."

No response.

Christie tried her hand. "Look, Brittany, I feel guilty too, but we can't let it weigh us down all day."

"It's not just that." Brittany spoke.

"Then what is it?" Christie asked.

She shook her head. "I can't say. It's just…troubling." She curled up.

"Brittany," Christie said, "It's alright. You can tell us."

"Trust me, I can't"

"Yes you can, whatever it is. We're here for you. Just tell us, get it off your chest. And see if we can help."

"I don't think you can."

"Try us."

Brittany was silent.

"What happened at the stream last night?" Melissa asked.

Brit looked right at her. "How do you know it happened there?"

"Because when you came back, you looked troubled."

Brittany's gaze went from Melissa, to Christie, then to the ground.

"When I went out there…Cameron was there I asked him if I could swim in the stream and he said yes, so I did. Then he got in as well. He started speaking to me. And…it was freaky. I had been thinking of Brad, and all the things he'd probably say. And then Cameron said the exact things I was thinking Brad would say. Then he…got really close and…held me. And then he…tried to kiss me. But then, I left."

"He made a move on you." Christie sneered. "Well, some guys are like that, you know?"

"I wanted him to do it."

Now, Christie was shocked. "Y-you what?"

"I wanted him to keep going."

"Whoa." Melissa said.

"W-why?" Was all Christie could ask.

"I don't know! I don't know why. I mean, first, he was just another person, and then, all of a sudden, he was…different. He was something more. Someone I wanted to hold and…and to kiss. But then, something clicked in my mind and I suddenly thought, 'Whoa! What am I doing!' Then I got out of there before it happened again."

There was a silence. "That's…strange." Christie said.

"It kind of tops the strange list." Melissa said.

"Brittany," Christie continued. "You love Brad, right?"

"YES! More than anything! It was just in that one moment that I…I don't know."

"Well, as long as you still love Brad, that's good. Maybe you were just…caught up in the moment or something."

"No! It was something more. I just clicked, the instant I looked at him."

"Whoa, wait." Melissa said. "You're saying you felt fine until you looked at him?"

"Yeah."

"Maybe that's it. Maybe it was a spell."

"A spell?"

"Yeah! Maybe he used a spell to make you want him!"

"Why would he do that?"

"The answer is obvious. He wanted you, so he tried to make you want him too."

Brittany thought about it for a minute. "Maybe…you're right. I mean, he said I was enchanting."

"I guess it's safe to say that he had the hots for you, Brittany."

"Man, why me?" Brittany grumbled.

"Who knows?" Melissa shrugged. "Guys are odd like that…but if I ever see him again, my fist is gonna stop in his face."

"Sounds like Sean talking." Christie chuckled.

Melissa frowned. "Aw…now I miss him again…"

"We'll all be reunited again soon enough. We're nearly to the meeting point, you know. Just another day or so, I assume."

"I hope you're right. I'm tired of-"

_WHOOSH!_

Something rushed by the girls so quickly and violently that it blew them forward several feet. When they stopped rolling, the girls looked around frantically for the source. Something was flying towards them at a shocking speed.

Melissa rolled away just in time, but was still blown away by the rushing wind.

Christie got to a knee and drew back an arrow. She began thinking back to her earliest training, when Sean would literally throw objects at her as hard as he could and she would have to strike them down.

The figure rushed back at them. Waiting until the opportune moment, Christie fired her arrow. Success! The flying figure flinched upon impact and lost its flight pattern, sending it crashing to the ground. The girls chased after it to see just what it was.

A humanoid figure stood up and yanked the arrow from his shoulder. Darteth turned to face Christie. "A very good shot." He admitted with a smirk.

"Darteth…come to finish us off?" Melissa asked.

He pointed to her. "Precisely, dear ex-Dragoon!" He chuckled. "You've made it this far with nary a trial. This, of course, was to raise your hopes to their highest point and then send them crashing down when I violently remind you that you are merely human."

Melissa drew her rapier and pointed it at Darteth. "Why do the bad guys always underestimate us?"

"A flaw we all carry." Darteth smirked. "However, Zackwell, Melbu, and I have learned from this mistake. Observe!"

He lifted his hand to the sky and snapped his fingers. A dark portal appeared in the air and a massive figure fell from the sky, shaking the ground as it landed. When it stood tall and roared fiercely, the girls remembered this creature as the giant zombie that had attacked them in the woods.

Brittany looked at Melissa. "You had to provoke him, didn't you?"

Darteth jumped up onto the monster's shoulders. "Wonderful creature, isn't it? A combination of ten zombie souls, converged into this Mega Zombie. Given life and might by Zackwell, magical resistance by Melbu, and I gave it speed to keep up with the smaller creatures of the world, since there are so many." He waved his hand, indicating the monster's great size.

"Wonderful indeed." Melissa grumbled.

"Like I said," Darteth continued, "we've been severely punished in the past for underestimating you, but this time there will be no survivors!"

He lifted his hand and shot a torrent of dark balls, which the girls dove to avoid. Then, he jumped towards Melissa and struck at her, but she jumped away and thrust her blade. Darteth slid to the side and swung twice, neither making its mark.

Christie aimed her bow but suddenly saw a shadow cover her. She turned around and Brittany tackled her just in time. Only a second later, she would have been crushed by the zombie's large foot.

The Mega Zombie turned to them and roared, throwing its spear. Both girls jumped away and Christie landed just right to fire an arrow, but it barely made a mark. Even the light-based arrows did little damage to this beast. It ran over to Christie and stabbed at her with its spear, then swung it at her. Christie ducked low and rolled away from the zombie's stomping foot.

Darteth jumped and kicked at Melissa, but she moved backwards and stabbed right back. Darteth spun around, smacking away Melissa's blade and kicking her in the side, then turned back and stabbed, but she was just quick enough to jump away, but not enough to avoid Darteth's next flying kick.

She hit the ground and jumped back up, leaping over Darteth's sliding kick. Melissa turned and stabbed at the ground just as Darteth rolled away, but she got a good slice of his wing. Darteth cried and launched a dark ball. Melissa held up her rapier, which absorbed most of the hit and leapt forward, swiping this way and that, but never hitting the ever-so-elusive Darteth. Finally, he ducked low and punched her in the gut, then performed a backflip kick, knocking her to the ground.

Darteth leapt up, stabbing downward, but Brittany's flying kick knocked him out of the air. Both of them rolled and Brittany swung her mallet to bash Darteth's head. He cringed and spun to his feet, swiping at Brittany, but she was too quick to be hit. Melissa tried to surprise him with a stab, but Darteth moved aside so quickly that she almost hit Brittany. Darteth shot a dark wave that knocked them both down and jumped for a stab, but they both rolled away on opposite ends, giving them the perfect chance to kick Darteth in the side, but he outstretched his arms and blew them both away.

Christie, meanwhile, was left with the Mega Zombie. It stabbed and Christie rolled. It stabbed again and she rolled back. It kept stabbing at her and Christie kept moving away. Finally, she moved forward, braving the zombie's quick feet. Darteth was right. Despite its massive size, the Mega Zombie was very quick. She finally jumped away, landed, aimed, and fired an arrow at the zombie's eye. However, it seemed to have seen it coming and blocked quickly, then threw the spear at her.

Christie jumped away, but felt the blade tear at her side flesh as it happened. She cried out, but tried to get back up just in time to avoid the monster's slamming fist. Then, she got an idea. Christie took out two arrows from her quiver and took special care in firing. The zombie picked up its spear and threw it again. Christie ducked under it and stood again, firing both arrows. Each struck, though only a little, but depth was of little importance. The first arrow was a Detonating Arrow, which quickly exploded. The second was a Light Arrow, which was blown apart by the first arrow and allowed to fly all over the Mega Zombie's skin, burning it. The monster roared, then glared at Christie with intense fury. It charged again.

Christie slid to the side to avoid the zombie, but it swung a large fist and connected with her body. Christie flew to the side and hit the ground in a daze. As she reached for another arrow, the zombie picked its spear back up, ready to throw. At last, Melissa rushed onto the scene and slid behind the Mega Zombie. Using the length and sharpness of her weapon, Melissa stabbed the zombie in its Achilles tendon.

The Mega Zombie roared in excruciating pain and limped on its side. Melissa yanked out her weapon and Christie fired another arrow combination at the zombie's leg, blasting a chunk off and toppling it. Once the Mega Zombie was on its side, Melissa rushed to its face and stabbed it in the throat. The Mega Zombie choked and wheezed, swinging at Melissa, but she had jumped away already, leaving her weapon embedded in the beast's flesh. In a short while, the Mega Zombie stopped gurgling and lay dead on the ground. Its body shimmered a little and split apart into its original ten souls, which all flew away into the wind.

When Melissa left, Darteth was left with only Brittany to worry about. He swung left and right, up and down at great speed and Brittany was barely able to avoid his slices, but got a few hits in here and there with her fists, but not powerful enough to do substantial damage. Brittany spun, connecting her mallet with Darteth's knee and kept spinning, smashing the side of his head. Before she could continue, Darteth kicked her knee and knocked her back with a dark wave. He jumped upon her, stabbing at her head, but Brittany moved it to the side and swung her legs up, rolling him off of her.

Then, Melissa rushed at him and stabbed, but Darteth moved his head and knocked the girl back with a wave. Christie jumped out from the side and shot an arrow, which Darteth quickly caught and tossed away. But then, Brittany came up and gave his head a good whack with her weapon. As he was hit, Christie reloaded and fired once more, striking Darteth in the skull with a Light Arrow. The white magic burned his brain and he fell onto his back, dead. Darteth's body vanished into thin air shortly after.

Melissa, Christie, and Brittany panted heavily, looking at one another.

"That went well." Melissa chuckled.

"Mega Zombie." Brittany mused. "Made from only ten souls-Zackwell would have thousands of these…do you think the others had to face one?"

"If they haven't, they will." Christie said. "Let's just hope it goes as well for them as it did us."

"Either way," Melissa spoke up again, "If Zackwell is mass-producing those creatures, and then he's really stepping up his game. I thought he'd just underestimate us and slack off, but he's actually trying."

"Hey, we beat it, right?" Brittany asked.

"Yeah, but there was one of it and three of us."

"And Darteth!"

"Okay, but what if he sends ten at us? We'd be killed."

"Then let's get moving before Zackwell does such a thing." Christie suggested. "We're not too far from the end anyway."

"Then let's hurry."

* * *

Christie was right. Only a day later, the girls found it: the ending point.

"Merging Rock." Melissa read off the map. "Looks like three rocks kinda joining together…how appropriate. Should be up ahead soon."

Melissa was correct. They soon came upon the perplexing rock formation. Some were already waiting.

"BRAD SPOTTED!" Brittany exclaimed, running towards him. The other two laughed. Jenn stood nearby the rock, staring off into the distance, having not seen them yet. Melissa looked around and a tremor ran up her spine. She was afraid to ask but knew she had to.

"Where's Mike?"

* * *

"Why can't you just embrace it?" The dark side asked. "The powers of light and darkness forged together into a wonderful unity."

"Unity?" Chris spat. "Is that what you call keeping me captive in my own body?"

"_Our_ body." The dark side corrected. "And it's for your own good. You don't yet understand our potential."

"I understand it fully. We're a genetic freak created to own the world."

"If we wanted to…our powers are nearly limitless. We could do anything we want-why do you fight that?"

"Because of your intentions. You use this power to serve Zackwell!"

The dark side grinned and let out a small chuckle. "Oh, how little you know…"

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Short chapter, dull chapter. I know. Just some filling. New group in the next couple chapters-Mike, Brad, and Jenn. Then, the final group will journey. If all goes well, things will only go uphill from here. Thanks for being patient or impatient, whatever you've been. I'll try to get the next chapter up quicker.


	15. A Long Ascent

OPENING NOTES: Got this chapter done pretty fast and I'm well on my way through the next. As I might have said earlier, I personally find this segment of the journey more interesting because I have more to work with as you'll later see. The third segment is even more interesting and there'll be plenty of fun when they reunite. Hopefully, if will all be uphill from here. Thanks for your patience and enjoy this chapter.

Chapter Fifteen: A Long Ascent

Mike's neck hurt as he stared up at the massive mountain towering before him.

"Man," He said. "This ain't gonna be easy."

"You're telling me." Brad said. "Yeesh. This'll take forever!"

"As long as we get there in one piece, what does it matter?" Jenn said.

"Good point."

"Well, no use in gaping." Mike said. "We may as well get started. Come on."

Then they took their first steps up the mountain. They were right. It wasn't easy. Mike, being the most experience in this field, led the way. Jenn followed him, and Brad brought up the rear. That way, they had an experienced Dragoon in both front and back, and they could protect the inexperienced Jenn.

Three days passed with no interest. Everyday, they would go around one mountain. And they made an extra effort to make it at least that. They didn't want to be stuck atop one at night. Everyone was miserable. Food and water were uncomfortably scarce. And the hard mountains and razor-sharp rocks were driving them nuts.

On the fourth day, Brad took a look at the map. "At this rate, we should be there on…Friday."

"Good." Mike said.

"In the year 3010."

"Ha, ha, ha." Mike said, sarcastically. Then he froze. "Oh, boy."

"What? Oh."

Up until this point, their paths had been relatively easy. They weren't very steep at all. And they would always find ways around tough obstacles. But not this time. Now, they stared up at an almost vertical climb.

"Great." Brad said. "Any way around it?"

Mike was already looking. "I don't see one. We'll have to climb." He looked up. It was a fair distance to the top. "There's plenty of grooves and whatnot to climb on. This'll be easy."

"For you."

Mike grabbed hold of a ledge, then put his foot on another, then pushed himself up. "Yeah, it ain't that hard. Come on!" Jenn began climbing up, then Brad.

Never tell anyone to not look down. Because that's the first thing they do. It looked quite tall from the bottom, but on the wall itself, it seemed to be way up in the clouds. Just looking down made you dizzy. Plus, the fact of the person above you falling onto your head, then dragging you down didn't help.

Finally, when they were almost at the top, Jenn reached up and grabbed a ledge. Just as she was shifting herself, her hand slipped.

"WHAAAHH!" She fell a bit before quickly grabbing another ledge with the tips of her fingers.

Mike finally breathed again.

"You okay, Jenn?"

"Yeah…I'm fine."

"Good. Let's keep moving."

Before long, Mike reached the top, then reached down and helped Jenn up.

"Scared me to death there for a sec."

"Hey, I'm tougher than that. Don't worry so much."

"I'm still working on it."

She smiled. "You're sweet." She kissed his cheek. Then Mike reached down and helped up Brad.

* * *

In the night, Mike and Brad altered shifts into four quarters. Brad took the first and third, while Mike took the second and fourth. They let Jenn sleep the whole night, being the gentlemen they were. Jenn insisted on helping, but the guys refused to let her.

On the fourth night, Brad sat near the fire they'd made. It was a great spot. There was a perfect cutout in a semi-circle, and it sat next to a stream, so they could refill on water. Brad stared up at the night sky. There were some upsides to being out in the wild. Back in the town, they couldn't see the stars so well because of all the lights. But out here, the stars shone brightly and beautifully. The moon was nearly full tonight, shining its light upon the mountains. It was truly beautiful.

"Great scenery, huh?"

Brad turned around. "Mike? You're a little early, aren't you?"

"Couldn't sleep." He sat down next to him. "But was I right?"

"Yeah, it's awesome."

"I'd like to see it with Jenn, but I don't want to wake her."

Brad sighed. "I wish Brittany was her too. She wouldn't care if I woke her, as long as she got to see something like this. I remember that once we took a vacation to Miami, and at night, I couldn't sleep, so I want out onto the balcony of our hotel room, and-we were on the beach-there was a full moon sparkling on the water. It was awesome! Brittany loves the water, so I knew she'd love this, so I woke her up and brought her out. She didn't care at all what time it was. Man, we stood out on that balcony for hours, just staring at the water. It was like a sea of diamonds. There was only one thing more beautiful than it: her. With the moon reflecting off her face and all…ah, man. Words can't describe it."

He let out a heavy, disappointed sigh. "I wish she could see this. It's incredible."

Mike understood. "You really miss her, huh?"

Brad nodded. "I hate being apart from her like this. Who knows how long it'll be? Who knows if we'll ever even see each other again?"

"Don't even go there, man. You'll see her again."

"Maybe. I mean, we could die any minute now. Or she could."

"We're not, and she's not. She's a tough girl, and Melissa and Christie will make sure she's fine."

"I know. But the question 'what if?' keeps popping into my head. What if she did die?" Brad shook his head. "I don't know what I'd do. But then again, what if I died?"

"You won't. I'll make sure of it."

"Thanks." They both looked out onto the waters again.

"Mike?" Brad finally asked after a long silence.

"Yeah?"

"If…I were to die…"

"I just said you won't."

"Just a 'what if?' scenario, okay? If I were to die…you'd take care of Brittany, wouldn't you?"

Mike didn't like to think of it. "You know I would, man. But I'd never replace you. That's why I'm not gonna let you die. Brittany couldn't take it. It wouldn't be very husband like to break her heart, now would it?"

Brad had to chuckle. "No, I guess not. But thanks anyway."

They were silent for another minute, until Mike spoke up.

"But…since we're on this subject…if I died, theoretically speaking, of course…you'd watch out for Jenn, wouldn't you?"

Brad nodded. "With my life. But it's not like I'm gonna sit back and let you kill yourself either, man. You watch my back and I'll watch yours."

"Deal." Then they shook on it.

Then Brad got up. "Your shift starts early."

"Aw, man…"

* * *

"Why do I have to deal with them?" Melbu was quite angry. "I have a bone to pick with Sean!"

"So do we all, but each of us has his own assignment." Zackwell said.

"And how convenient it was that you got to watch over Sean and his group."

"They are the most formidable."

"And you're saying you're the most powerful of us all?" Melbu sneered.

"You beg to differ?"

"You're forgetting that I am one with the Virage Embryo."

"Oh, I haven't forgotten. It was defeated twice already." He smirked.

Melbu scoffed. "I suppose that puts me a few steps ahead of you."

Zackwell glared and shot out his hand. A black wave shot Melbu across the room and into the wall. "Watch your tongue, Melbu…don't forget that you wouldn't even be here without me."

Melbu pushed himself to his feet again, still angry, but said nothing on the matter.

"Besides," Zackwell continued, "Your group has their own annoyances that we could well do without."

"Yeah? Like what?"

"They're religious…two of them, at least. Religious folk irritate the Master more than any other. Plus, the Golden Dragoon is a religious leader. Lucifer thinks that their prayers may have been what kept the Dragoons together all these years. Either way, he cannot stand the sound of prayers."

"I see…" Melbu rubbed his chin. He knew that is was good to appease Lucifer if he wanted to stay on the earth. "Then I will silence them."

* * *

The Dragoons kept climbing and descending for several days, braving the steep cliffs and icy altitudes. They fought to keep their morale and energy up. Brad kept thinking of Sabrina and that kept him going. Mike followed his friend loyally and Jenn followed him.

"How you holdin' up?" Mike asked Brad as they ascended a not-too-steep slope. It wasn't the first time he'd done so.

"A little better, just like the day before. Kinda getting into a routine, you know? Helps me not to think too much."

"I understand." He and Brad and spoken on the matter many times. He turned around. "How about you, Jenn? Holding up okay?"

"I think so. I'm getting used to the mountain climbing thing, I guess. How about you two? Doin' well without your Dragoon Spirits?"

"It still feels weird." Mike said honestly. "Especially being grounded like we are. I guess we took flying for granted."

"We took a lot of things for granted." Brad added. "Maybe we've been doin' this job for too long, you know?"

Mike stopped. "You're being sarcastic, right?"

Brad sighed. "Yeah…moment of weakness, sorry. Just, eh…hard to keep at it when you're at the bottom of the pit, you know?"

"I suppose." Mike said, not able to fully understand Brad's trouble.

"I just hope Brittany's okay." Brad continued.

"She's probably better off than us." Jenn said. "At least she's not in a mountain, freezing to death."

"It's not that cold." Mike rolled his eyes. "But the weather looks like it'll be bad, soon." He indicated the darkening clouds. "We should get off this mountain as quickly as possible."

As if on cue, a peal of thunder rumbled.

"Thanks a bunch, Mike." Brad grumbled. "You should've been a weatherman." Only a short distance later, he stopped in his tracks. "What's that?" He pointed forward at a small party of zombie soldiers rushing at them.

"An annoyance." Mike gripped his axe tightly, stepping forward. "Nothing more."

Jenn pulled out her bow and went at it. She was able to stop three before switching to her daggers and slicing away. She knocked a weapon away, then sliced through two of them, then ducked under a blade and stabbed him in the stomach. Then she cut the head off another.

Mike started by blasting away two with one swing of his axe kicked another down, then struck him and parried another blade. Then Mike gave two strong strokes and killed two zombies. He held his axe up to block another strike, then pushed them back.

Brad ducked under a blade, then got him in the jaw with an uppercut, then spun and got one in the stomach with his elbow before bringing his leg up to kick him away. While he was at it, he leapt up and kicked a zombie into the blade of another. Then he gave mighty punch. His Thunder Claws were already sparking to life. Unaware of the dangers of this, Brad kept punching and wiped out three more.

The Dragons kept going at it and were easily winning. But then, disaster struck…literally.

Brad moved away from a blade and punched that zombie in the face, then backhanded another. Just then, Brad began rubbing his knuckles together to gather power before hitting another zombie. Then, Brad ducked under a swinging fist and grabbed it and flipped it over his shoulder. Brad raised electric fist up, about to ram it down into the zombie's face. But that's when a bolt of lightning came down and struck the Thunder Claws. Brad fell onto his side.

"BRAD!" Mike shouted. He ran over to him as fast as he could. The zombie shoved Brad off of him and pulled a dagger out. Mike whipped out his Tomahawk and tossed it, nailing him in the head. Then he chopped through the other three heading for him. He and Jenn quickly wiped out the remaining zombies.

Mike knelt down beside Brad and Jenn ran over to them.

"What the heck happened?" She exclaimed.

"Lightning. His Thunder Claws must've attracted it." He felt Brad's pulse. "Still alive," He said with a sigh. "But let's get him out of here!" Both of them picked him up and carried him off. At that time, the dark clouds disappeared and the sun shone through once more.

"What a coincidence." Mike said sardonically.

"What do we do?" Jenn asked.

Mike strained his brain trying to think. "Man, if only Christie were here…she knows all about things like this." He paced back and forth, wondering, and going over the items they had with them. None seemed reasonable or of worth in this situation. "I guess…all we can do is keep going and hope for the best. Let's at least get off this mountain. Come on."

Mike and Jenn picked him up again and continued moving. All Mike could think about the whole time was his promise that he'd made to Brad about watching over Brittany.

Things weren't going to get any better yet. They kept climbing higher and higher into the mountain. The temperature dropped a good deal, but still, the determined duo struggled on. They treaded roughly through snow, both thick and thin and slipped and slid on the rocks. Brad didn't stir the whole time.

They were forced to rest at what appeared to be the top of a cliff. It was a long clearing covered with a thin layer of snow. Luckily for them, nothing fresh was blowing around. It was an unusually clear day, especially with the rain they'd had. Three hours had passed since that event and Mike and Jenn were getting tired.

"Thank goodness nothing else has happened." Jenn panted.

"Don't jinx it." Mike said. "We're not making any progress here. We're only going higher and higher up into the mountain. When do we go down again?" He laid on his back. "And to top it off, the sun will be setting soon. Less light will make it impossible to climb or drop. I really don't want to get stuck on this danger field at night."

"Then we have to hurry." Jenn said. "But…in reality, what chance to we stand?"

Mike rolled his head over to look at her. "What do you mean?"

"We've tried giving Brad water, but he chokes it up every time. Three days and he's dead."

"Then let's hope he'll wake up before then!"

"That's all you can say? 'Let's hope'?"

"What else can we do?" He hated being pessimistic like this, but he was right. "We're gonna have to rely on him waking up."

"But what are the odds of that happening?"

"Does it matter? We still have to rely on it. Just keep hoping."

"If you say so…"

"Still not encouraged?"

"I just wish there was more we could do."

Mike turned his gaze up to the sky again. "Me too, Jenn…me too."

They were silent for a time. "Mike?" Jenn finally asked.

"Yeah?"

"Is that what you Dragoons rely on most of the time? Hope?"

"It's the only thing keeping us going: the chance that we'll conquer Zackwell…no matter how small it may be. If there's a chance, we'll fight for it."

"How do you know when there's no longer even a chance?"

"When we're dead and rotting."

"I guess that works." She rolled her eyes.

"It has so far."

They rested for a bit, and then stood back up. "We'd better keep going." Mike said. "We'll need to get as much done as we can before sunset."

"Whoa, wait."

"What?"

"You feel that?"

Then he did. A small, sort of tremble below his feet. There was a second's pause, then there is was again, just a bit stronger. With every passing second, the tremors got stronger and stronger, until they could hear them as well as feel them.

"Someone's going nuts with the Earthquake switch!" Jenn said.

Boom…boom…boom.

"What is that?" Mike wondered aloud.

Boom…Boom…Boom.

"It's getting louder each time." Jenn noted.

BOOM…BOOM…BOOM.

"I have a really bad feeling about this." Mike said.

Then, they found out what the noise was: footsteps. How did they know this? Well, the creator of the footsteps had just come around the corner.

Mike's and Jenn's jaws dropped. It was a zombie…but of a much different sort. It was fifteen feet tall with muscles as big as they were. And in its hand was a weapon that had its own zip code. It was an axe a foot or two taller than this giant was. It came around the bend and looked down at them. Then it stopped and readied itself.

"How's your hope holding up now?" Jenn asked.

"Not funny." Mike said.

"What do we do?"

"Brad's a sitting duck." Mike said. "You guard him."

"And you?" Jenn asked.

Mike brandished his axe.

"No way!" Jenn snapped.

"Running will do us no good! Keep trying to wake Brad up!"

The giant zombie let out a deafening roar, then charged. This thing was scary enough standing, but running right at you with an axe that could destroy a redwood forest in sixty seconds flat? Mike gulped, and then ran at him, attempting to bring the fight as far away from Brad and Jenn as possible. When he was close enough, the giant raised his axe and swung down. Mike dove to the side and the axe slammed hard into the ground. Mike got back up and stared at the axe. He was standing and could still see his full reflection in the blade and then some.

"That is one freakishly big axe."

The zombie pulled it out of the ground and swung it horizontally. Mike hit the dirt and the axe struck deep into the mountainside. Mike took this opportunity to run up and strike the zombie's leg as hard as he could. He didn't even pierce the skin. He struck again and again, but nothing worked. Then, the zombie raised its foot and he ran off before his was crushed. The zombie gave a mighty yank and stumbled as the axe came out. That stumble gave Mike an idea. When the zombie struck again, Mike ran through its legs and to the edge to look over.

It was a very, very, long drop. Mike certainly did not want to take such a nasty fall. There would be no climbing back up.

Mike's plan was to make the giant zombie fall off that cliff, but how to go about it? Its massive bulk would definitely play a part. Mike tried going through its legs. It spun around and smashed down and Mike dove to the side. It swung horizontally and Mike leapt over it, so it swung down again, and then swung a backhand when Mike tried to escape. Mike dodged most of the hand, but still got knocked away. He got back up and waited. The zombie struck down again and Mike dove to the side. But this time, the zombie put his hand in his way and Mike ran right into it. He moved away from the grasping fingers quickly and moved over the giant hand and struck it with his axe. That worked. The skin on the knuckles wasn't as thick as the leg.

The zombie recoiled his hand in pain, and then stamped his foot down where Mike would've been had he not moved. He was really getting tired of this. Then, the zombie slammed his axe into the ground again, but Mike moved away. But before he could get far, the zombie swung at him and Mike was forced to stop and duck, then the zombie struck again and Mike tried moving, but the swinging axe prevented him from going further. Mike found himself moving backwards, towards the edge. Soon, Mike found himself on the edge of a pointed cliff. Mike tried to move, but the zombie swung at him, then struck again. Mike tried the other way, but he again was blocked and almost chopped in half. With the indentations from the axe, Mike looked like he was standing on a diamond cutout.

Brad's eyes fluttered open. He looked up at Jenn and slowly pushed himself up.

"You're awake!" Jenn said.

"What the…?" Brad stared at the monster before them. "What is THAT? What's going on?"

Jenn quickly briefed him. "Think you can fight?"

Brad tried to get up, but fell back to his knees. "Still loopy…"

Jenn groaned. She looked back at the fight.

Mike was trapped. He couldn't go through the zombie's legs again, he'd be expecting that. Then, the zombie stepped onto the diamond. Mike couldn't move back, but soon discovered he didn't have to, because when the zombie was fully on that diamond, it broke away. The axe chops had separated it from the rest of the mountain. It began falling and Mike then quickly ran through the zombie's legs and leapt as the slab broke off.

Mike landed only halfway on the ledge, his balance wavering. Mike flailed his arms about desperately, trying not to fall. Finally, he pushed his weight forward and held still. He stood, barely balanced on the edge of a very high cliff. Mike let out a heavy sigh. He looked up at Jenn and Brad and gave a weak smile.

"That was a little too close!" He chuckled. Then, he heard the cracking.

With a light rumble, the ground beneath Mike's feet broke away and he fell to his doom.


	16. Secrets of the Mountains

Chapter Sixteen: Secrets of the Mountains

Jenn and Brad stared at the edge of the cliff in utmost horror at what they'd just witnessed. Frantic, Jenn ran to the edge of the cliff, hoping and praying that he was still hanging there for dear life. But all she could see was the mist of the mountains and her husband no longer in sight.

"Oh, God…" She whispered, falling to her knees as realization kicked in full.

Brad walked to the edge and looked over as well, seeing the same nothing Jenn did. He was gone.

Brad shook his head in utter disbelief. There was no way. He couldn't be gone. The Dragoons had survived everything up til this point; they'd always worked their way through the situations. It's what Brad had been relying on for so long.

But now…a simple accident took the life of his dear friend and fellow Dragoon. Brad had somehow gotten through his skull that the Dragoons were invincible. Now, he had just witnessed a testament to the opposite.

Suddenly, Jenn began bawling, shaking in shock and loss. Brad remembered the night when he and Mike had spoken about the future. Brad remembered how he had sworn to watch over Jenn if anything happened. He just hadn't imagined that such a time would come so soon…or at all.

Brad knelt down and wrapped his arms around her body. Jenn clutched him tightly, crying out her husband's name, though she knew it was in vain. He was gone. Brad kept her in his arms and wept over her shoulder.

* * *

Time was lost to the two of them. The sun soon set, though they didn't notice. They just sat there, paralyzed in pain. Nothing else mattered to them at this moment, not time, not temperature, not their overall mission. Right now, all they could think about was their loss.

"What do I do?" Jenn finally asked, stirring the silence and half-startling Brad.

"I…I don't know." He responded.

She shook her head. "I wish I'd fallen with him."

"Hey, hey…don't say that, okay?"

"Why not?"

"Because Mike…" he couldn't say the d-word. "fought to save us. If you'd fallen too, what would be the point?"

Jenn began to weep again. "Why did he have to die?"

"I don't know…but…listen to me." He moved her face up to lock eyes. "Mike and I…made a pact. I promised that if anything would happen to him that I'd look after you…I know I can't ever take his place and I'm not trying to, but…I gotta keep that promise, you understand me?"

"I guess so…"

"He wanted us to live so that we could keep going. We have to do that. We need to get off this mountain before it's too dark. We gotta keep going. C'mon!"

Jenn wiped her eyes as best she could, though the tears were still coming. Brad kept an arm around her.

"That's it. C'mon, you can do it." He encouraged. Jenn forced herself through every step, desperately suppressing the urge to curl up and freeze on the mountaintop. She kept telling herself that he would have wanted her to live.

They'd only gotten a few steps ahead when Brad looked up and saw something in the distance. The trail led along the edge of the mountain, finally leading downward after a long ascent. A little ways down, it curved until the rest of the path was perpendicular to them. This gave Brad a clear view of the fight happening ahead.

There were what looked like zombies trying to make their way up the slopes, but they were all being stopped at the same point. There was something fighting them, or someone. It looked like a human…a very tall human, compared to the zombies. Even with the tremendous height advantage, it looked like the lone warrior was having difficulties.

"Wha?" Brad stared.

Jenn looked at the sight. "Now what?" She grumbled.

"I…I'm not sure." Brad said. He thought carefully about his next move. "I'm going to check it out. Jenn, I want you to stay here. Can you do that?"

She nodded weakly, seeming uninterested. Brad felt nearly the same way, but had to occupy his mind. He ran down the slope and around the curve, soon catching up to the fight. The tall man was fighting with an even taller axe. He roared as he chopped through the zombies left and right. Then, while he was swinging down on a zombie, another jumped at him. Brad took this chance to perform a flying kick, knocking him back down. The giant stared at him, baffled.

"What are you doing!" He asked in a deep voice.

"Helping!" Brad says. "I despise these guys."

The giant's eyes narrowed, but then he turned back to the zombies. "Then it is fine."

Brad nodded and punched and kicked his way through a heaping hoard of zombies as the giant tore through them several at a time with his large weapon. Just as Brad was about to head for another zombie, Jenn suddenly leapt into it, stabbing through its heart with a furious cry, then she tore through three more in bitter violence.

"Jenn!" Brad said. "I told you to-"

Jenn's head whipped around and Brad could see the hatred and fury in her red eyes. Brad stopped his sentence short and just nodded. No use arguing. She had some steam to let off. The three went at it.

"Large army." The giant soon said. "Too large. Must alert others, gather army!"

"Others!" Brad asked.

"Secret door." The giant said, kicking down another zombie. "Nearby. Others could come if warned, but no time to go!"

"This place is nearby!" Brad asked, trying to keep up while punching through zombies.

"Yes! Secret entrance in mountain wall, just behind us!"

"Then we'll hold off the zombies. You go get your buddies!"

The giant was skeptical. "How can Dogul trust you?"

Brad guessed that Dogul was this guy's name. Not so hot on the grammar. "Trust or don't trust, it's up to you, but if you have extra help, we could sure use it!" Brad grabbed an item from his pocket and tossed it. A small orb erupted in a torrent of violet lightning bolts.

Dogul took this as an opportunity to go. He didn't take many steps back before grabbing onto a rock and literally yanking it out of place. It turned out to be a giant stone door that was invisible to the untrained eye. Once inside, Dogul closed the door and it vanished from sight again.

Brad gave a furious punch, knocking a zombie's head into another's. Then he backflip-kicked off another zombie, then he gave a strong uppercut, sending the zombie flying. He did a Matrix bend to avoid a spear, and then he kicked the zombie in the stomach, then his head and backflipped, gabbing the spear. Brad then cut through three of them with it before throwing it through three. Brad gabbed two zombies by their heads and jumped up to kick them away. Then he ducked under a sword and spun his leg around, tripping a few, and then he pulled another Thunderbolt item from his pocket.

"PAYBACK!" he tossed it and thunderbolts danced across the oncoming zombies.

Jenn crossed her daggers to block a blade, and then swung them back to send him stumbling back. Then Jenn ducked under a fist and stabbed that zombie in the stomach, then turned to stab another coming at her. Jenn did a backflip, her feet catching a zombie in the jaw, and then she sliced through two and spun around to cut through two more. A zombie lunged his spear at her, but she bent back and stabbed him in the stomach.

Brad remembered a few old moves Sean had taught him long ago that would be quite useful now. Brad first tried out his Flurry of Styx move. He punched to zombies away, then stepped back and rubbed the Thunder Claws together, then shot a violet ball at the zombies. Then he tried the Summon 4 Gods move. He ran up and punched a zombie, then gave an uppercut and then kicked up off his chest, going straight up, then he did a backflip and slammed his fists down on him. Then he jumped back in order to try out one of his most powerful abilities: Hex Hammer. He raised his left foot off the ground, recoiled with the sole of his shoe facing the enemy, inviting him into the trap. The poor, pathetic zombies kept coming, though. Once one got close enough, Brad shot his foot out, bashing him in the face, and then he did it again to another. Then Brad switched feet and clobbered two more, then he gave a mighty punch to the one in front of him, who flew back into the fray.

Jenn didn't have any special moves, but she wasn't thinking in a clear mind anyway, so she just kept up her dagger assaults. She struck a zombie in the throat with a dagger and then extended her hand to the side to stab another's head. Then Jenn spun around, tearing her daggers out and cutting two more. When a zombie tried striking her with a sword, the swung her dagger up, ramming it into his wrist. Then she leapt up and kicked off a zombie to her right and flipped over in a full circle, cutting through another zombie with her other dagger. Then he pulled her dagger out of the zombie's fist and rammed it into his heart. Then she sliced through the one whom she had kicked off of a second ago.

The two humans did quite well for being powerless, driven by anger at everything evil. However, they didn't have much time to fight, for they soon heard a rumbling behind them. Brad turned to see not one but two doors opening in the mountainside and many giants rushing from within, weapons ready, shouting their battle cries.

Brad stepped aside as not to get trampled, but Jenn didn't care either way. She kept on fighting the good fight, tearing through zombie after zombie, almost effortlessly.

Dogul stopped while charging and turned to Brad. "You have Dogul's thanks for protecting giganto door."

Brad's eyes shot open. "Giganto!"

"Dogul talks later! Now, we kick dark warriors off mountain!" He ran into the battle, joining his many companions. As shocked as Brad was, this explained a lot. Every warrior was about the same height as Dogul, which was quite tall, a few heads over his.

It was a zombie slaughter. Not one giganto was taken down, for the zombies could not match up to their superior strength and height. Soon, a group of gigantos worked together to tear a large boulder off the mountain and toss it down the mountain trail, bowling over the zombies as they ran in terror. They would not be running back up.

Jenn, however, was not satisfied. She began running down the mountain after them.

"Jenn!" Brad chased after her. She was very fast, but Brad caught her, pinning her arms to her side so she couldn't cut him in anger or by accident.

"Let me go!" She yelled, fighting against Brad's grip to no avail.

"Calm down!" Brad ordered. "Calm down! Chasing them won't get you anywhere! It's over, Jenn! It's over!"

She knew it but couldn't accept it. Jenn continued to fight against Brad's grip until she ran out of energy and just collapsed in the snow, weeping once more.

After a moment, Dogul approached them. "Young woman fights with great passion."

Brad explained it. "Something attacked us before we found you. It was like one of those zombies…but bigger, like two of me, bigger than you guys. It…her husband…my friend…died while fighting it. He fell off the mountain."

Dogul gave a grim nod. "Mountain is merciless at times, gigantos know."

Now, Brad had to ask. "You're all gigantos?"

Dogul nodded. "Me Dogul, chief warrior of giganto army."

"I'm Brad." He said. "And…" He stood up and let Jenn go. She remained still, wiping the tears. "This is Jenn."

"Dogul is pleased to meat both of you and thanks you for your help."

"Do you all live in the mountains?" Brad asked.

"Yes, sacred giganto home-the last, we fear. Kept in secret from everyone. Gigantos live in mountain for many eons, thriving into great underground city."

Thriving and underground didn't usually go together in a sentence, but Brad bit. "Seriously?"

"Yes. Come, Dogul will show you. Sun sets, makes mountain dangerous and cold. Stay with gigantos tonight as thanks for your help."

Dogul was right. There was no way they'd make it off the mountain in time now. If the gigantos had really been thriving, then they must also be warm and sheltered.

"Sounds good. C'mon, Jenn." He ushered her along and she complied. Dogul and the other gigantos walked back into the large opening in the mountain, large even for a giganto. Once everyone was inside, the gigantos pulled on the large ropes on the other side to close the door, leaving only wall-mounted torches to light the path.

Brad suddenly felt overcome by claustrophobia. He and Jenn followed the gigantos through the long corridor and into a vast opening. They stood amazed at an entire city, carved out of the inside of the mountain.

"Whoa…" Brad was awed.

"Surprised?" Dogul asked.

"Yeah! We didn't even know gigantos were still alive, much less living in a place like this! You guys made all this?"

"Everything carved by giganto weapons. Gigantos are strong and good with stone. In here, we are safe from unfriendly eyes. Human run gigantos out of old home."

"Yeah…in the Tiberoean lands, past the Valley of Corrupted Gravity?"

Now it was Dogul's turn to be stunned. "You know of old giganto home?"

"I'm fresh on the stories." Brad smiled. "Always loved 'em."

Dogul nodded. "Survivors flee here, away from anyone to hide and start again."

Brad looked up at a great statue standing in the middle of the dwelling. A massive figure stood with a mighty axe in his hands and a fierce scowl on his face. What stood out the most, however, was the Dragoon Spirit around the giganto's neck. Brad's eyes narrowed. It couldn't be.

"Who is that statue of?" Brad asked.

"Giganto hero: Kongol. Kongol was survivor of attacks on old home and grow with humans. Great warrior and help save world as Golden Dragoon!"

Kongol's Dragoon title brought back a sense of remorse to Brad's heart. He looked over at Jenn, who was already walking towards the statue. She reached out and touched it, and then knelt down before it, head bowed.

"Dogul say something wrong?" The giganto asked.

"It's not your fault." Brad said. "Her husband, the one who fell…was the Golden Dragoon."

Dogul's eyes widened in shock. "Impossible!"

"It's true. I'm a Dragoon too."

"If you are Dragoons, then where is proof?"

"That's why we're here. Our Dragoon Spirits were stolen from us and we're on a journey to get them back."

Dogul saw no lie in the human's eyes. He looked over at Jenn. "She is Dragoon, too?"

"No, but she fights alongside us."

Dogul considered the situation. "Come. You speak these things to Elder, giganto leader. Come."

He turned away. Brad hurried over to Jenn and picked her up onto her feet. "C'mon, Jenn." They walked together, following Dogul's footsteps to a sort of pavilion.

Inside, and old giganto sat with countless wrinkles on his face and large bags under his eyes. Dogul gave a bow and the humans figured it was best to do the same.

"Why do you come to me?" The elder asked.

Dogul explained. "Dark warriors climb mountain. Dogul could not handle on his own, but humans come and help Dogul. They saved me."

The elder looked at the strangers. "Humans…why do you help the gigantos?"

"He was in danger." Brad said. "Why wouldn't we?"

"In past, humans very unkind to gigantos. Humans chase them from home and kill many."

"Times have changed. We're no longer like that."

The elder took a deep breath, seeming convinced. "This mountain is sacred home of gigantos because it is hidden in mountain where no creature travels. Why do you humans climb the mountain when there are no human settlements anywhere around?"

"We've come a long way, yeah." Brad said. "Here's the jist of it: we're…" Brad stopped himself. "Well…I'm a Dragoon."

The elder was baffled. "Dragoon?"

"Yep."

"Where is your spirit then?"

"That's just it. My friends and I make up the eight Dragoons of legend. Recently, our Dragoon Spirits were stolen from us…as well as my daughter, Sabrina and two more children whom I consider nephews. We're all on a journey to recover everything we've lost, but we were forced to split up. We've had to climb these mountains every day. We had little difficulty until…until today."

The elder's eyes narrowed. "There is pain in your voice…and in your eyes."

Brad nodded. "My friend Mike, her husband," he indicated Jenn, "was the Golden Dragoon…one of the greatest guys I ever knew. Today, he…we were attacked by a massive monster, one we'd never encountered before. I was unconscious and Jenn had to guard me, so Mike took it upon himself to fight the beast. He fought his best and won the fight, but in the end, he fell with the monster off the cliff."

The elder spoke somberly. "A grave loss for all."

"Yeah." Brad muttered. "But even so…Jenn and I have to continue. We have to meet up with our friends again."

"Other Dragoons?" the elder inquired.

"Yes."

"Powers also taken?"

"Yes. All of our Dragoon Spirits were taken by a demon named Zackwell."

The elder shuddered.

"Elder?" Dogul asked.

"Darkness thrives in evil city, Mayfil. Souls of dead wander earth. Evil winds whisper his name: Zackwell! Elder feels evil. Elder feels Zackwell. Zackwell is loathsome and vile."

"We know." Brad said. "We've encountered him many times before, but this is the worst incident we've ever come upon…especially now. You can see the hurry we are in. Our group was scattered and we have to meet back up so that we can get our powers back and stop Zackwell."

"Gigantos will not stop Dragoons. Dragoons are powerful force and can defeat any evil. But sun has set, so tonight, you may stay with us."

"Thank you." Brad said. "But we have to leave early tomorrow morning. And while we're here, you gigantos know the mountains pretty well, right? Do you know the quickest way past them?"

The elder pondered it. "Safest way is to just cross. Pass one mountain each day."

"We've been doing that. It's pretty tedious first of all, but the mountain range is dangerous for plenty of reasons."

"Even so," The elder said. "That way is best. It is safest."

Brad caught on. "But is it the quickest?"

The elder hesitated.

"There's a faster way, isn't there?"

"Gigantos do not travel it. No one does."

"Why not?"

"Too dangerous."

"Danger isn't important!" Jenn suddenly spoke up. "You know how important this mission is to us! We have to get rid of Zackwell before he kills anyone else!"

The elder's heart fell heavy at her pleas. Solemnly, he acquiesced.

"There is one path. It was once part of giganto home. Giganto paths stretched all the way to the end of the mountains. One path would lead you straight through in few days."

"What's the problem with it?" Brad had to ask.

"Mountain has its evils too. While expanding, gigantos find monster. Monster killed many. Gigantos forced to flee chambers. Giganto army try to fight monster, but monster was very fast, too fast for gigantos. Only one survive." He looked over at Dogul. They got the hint. "Dogul come back with tales of horror and slaughter. Gigantos build great doors to seal off forbidden chambers and many paths, but needed to be done to save species. In twenty years, doors not open."

Brad looked at Jenn. "What do you think? I mean gigantos are pretty tough."

"He said it was too fast." Jenn countered. "We're fast. We can take it."

"Jenn…"

"If it's the fastest path, I'll take it, no matter what."

Brad understood and nodded. He looked back at the elder. "We'll take that path. We have to."

Elder nodded and sighed. "Doors open tomorrow. You go in and doors close, not to open again. You will not be able to return."

"It's a risk I'm willing to take." Jenn said.

* * *

Dogul decided to let the dragoons stay with him for the evening. Of course, being a giganto, everything was too big for the humans, but they would live with it.

"Thanks for letting us stay here." Brad said.

"Dogul's thanks for help." The giganto said.

Brad nodded, then asked what he'd been wondering. "So Dogul…you went into the forbidden chambers? What exactly was in there?"

Dogul shook his head. "Barely see. Monster very fast and very powerful. Dogul saw white skin and white blades covering it. Very sharp teeth and black eyes. Creature move very quickly and kill gigantos before they could attack. Many try to retreat, but only Dogul survive."

"Anything else about it? Is there any way to know when its coming?"

"Dogul remembers one thing. When monster attack, it let out loud yell, a shriek, very high-pitched. Hurt giganto ears. While in pain, monster attack."

"So if we hear a scream, we should run?"

"Yes." Dogul nodded. "Creature is mighty. Humans must be careful in dark places."

"We will be." Brad assured him.

"Even so," Dogul continued, "Path have other dangers."

"What do you mean?"

"Path not entirely complete before monster came. Many dead ends and confusing corridors. Like big maze. Easy to get lost. Only one trail lead to end of mountain correctly. Others lead in circles."

"Can you help us in any way with that?"

"Dogul have old map. Hope it will help you."

"It's worth a try, thanks."

"Dogul give food and water, too, to survive journey. Have plenty to spare."

"Thanks again. According to the map we have, we should meet our friends not far after the mountains end. Hopefully, they're all alright and we can continue."

"And fight Zackwell?"

"Yeah, and all his dark buddies and endless army, too." Brad ran his hand through his had. "It's hard not having your powers sometimes."

"But you still fight. It is noble."

"I suppose." Brad said. Suddenly, a question arose in his mind. "Hey…why don't the gigantos fight?"

"Fight!"

"Yeah! You're strong and we could certainly use the help."

"Not possible. We are last of gigantos. Must stay and protect mountain."

"Dogul, I don't mean to sound so dark, but you won't be able to hide forever. Zackwell will eradicate all life on earth, including this city!"

"Do not speak of such things!" Dogul boomed in his basso profundo.

"Sorry," Brad said, "But it's the truth. He's evil. You don't know how far he'd go to kill everyone."

"Gigantos are safe in mountain. Zackwell will not find. Gigantos stay on mountain, stay safe. Dogul apologizes, but gigantos cannot help humans."

"But…"

"Dogul not talk about it anymore. Rest for tonight." Then, he left.

Brad sighed and turned to Jenn. "It was worth a shot."

She shrugged.

Brad still didn't know what to say.

* * *

In the middle of the night, Brad was stirred from his sleep once again by the stone floor on which he slept. This time, however, he happened to look over and see that the spot next to him was suddenly unoccupied. Nearby it, though, Jenn sat up with her legs curled at her chest, the oversized giganto blankets wrapped around her body. She was facing away.

"Jenn?" He asked. "Big day tomorrow. Why aren't you sleeping?"

"It's cold."

Brad didn't get it. "The blankets are big enough. You can wrap them several times over. Personally, I think it's a little too warm in here."

Jenn looked over her shoulder at him. "You don't ever get chilly on nights when Brittany isn't there?"

He suddenly got the message. Years of sleeping next to someone gives a person a warmth they grow to depend on.

Brad looked at the ground. He got up and moved over to her. Gently, he wrapped his own blankets around her body, which she clutched greedily.

"It's not much, but…it's all I can give."

Jenn was consoled only a little. She rested her chin on her knees. Brad saw by the faint candlelight how moist and red her eyes were after the whole day. She closed them, but failed to stop one more tear.

"I'm useless, aren't I?"

Brad was baffled. "What! No! What brought this up?"

"If I were stronger, I could've helped him."

He put his hand on her shoulder. "Jenn, that guy had some unnatural strength in him. He's the only one of us who could have done it. Besides, you had to watch me. If anything, _I_ should feel useless. But, hey…it was just a bad situation that no one could have prevented. Don't blame yourself, okay?"

Jenn wiped her eyes and nodded. "He's want me to be strong, wouldn't he?"

"Uh-huh."

"I'll sure try then."

Brad smiled. "Very becoming of a Dragoon."

* * *

The next morning, Dogul gave the two of them a feast of a breakfast. "Gigantos learn importance of first meal." He said. "Help you work harder and stronger. Good for travel, too. Humans need much energy for journey ahead."

Even though the two of them felt that they would never be hungry again, Dogul gave them some rations for the trip, since there would be no food for them in the caves. Being giganto portions, they would definitely last the entire trip. They also had plenty of water.

When Brad and Jenn were ready, Dogul led them to the spot. Two large stone doors sealed off the caves and many gigantos were removing all the barriers upon them. The elder came also.

"Gigantos wish you all the best of luck. Remember: once doors close, they will not open again."

"We know." Brad nodded. "We're ready."

"Very well. Open the doors!"

A couple of gigantos had to put chains through the loops fixed to the door and pulled them open slowly. They didn't open them all the way, just enough for the humans to fit through.

The elder spoke again. "If you survive, you are always welcome in giganto cave. However, we ask that you keep it secret."

"Will do." Brad gave a thumbs-up.

"Farewell, Dragoons." Dogul said. "Dogul enjoyed meeting you."

"Same to you, Dogul. See ya later-and that's a promise!"

Brad and Jenn looked at the darkness in front of them. Taking a deep breath, the two of them walked into the forbidden corridors. The doors shut behind them, sealing out all the light.

Dogul let out a heavy sigh. "Humans have determination. Dogul only hopes that they can make it."

Just then, a giganto ran to them as fast as he could. "Dogul! Elder!" He was out of breath. "Come quickly! See what Logun find!"

As Logun ran off, Dogul hurried after him to see just what the commotion was about.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Lotsa bummers goin' on, but the two survivors trudge ahead. The next chapter is the last for this group. Thanks to everyone for the plethora of reviews. Keep 'em coming. Hope you enjoyed this chappie. Next should be up fairly soon.


	17. Braving the Dark

Chapter Sixteen: Braving the Dark

"Perhaps they had outside help." Zackwell muttered. With his magic, he brought up a map of where the girls had been last seen. "They were about here, I believe." Zackwell made a dot. "And then they vanished." He rubbed his chin, pondering. "Darteth, you'll have to investigate the matter yourself. Search that forest high and low for any trace of the Dragoons."

Darteth nodded and was gone in a puff of black smoke.

Zackwell turned to Melbu Frahma. "And what do your department? Any irregularities?"

"Similar situation. The Thunder Dragoon and the Earth Dragoon's widow have vanished into the mountains somewhere, but I'll find them."

Zackwell's eyes perked. "Did I hear you use the word 'widow'?"

Melbu smiled. "Yeah. I created a storm and knocked out the Thunder Dragoon with a lightning bolt. While he was down, I sent one of the Mega-Zombies up the mountain. The Golden Dragoon bravely faced the monster and bravely fell off the cliff. The Thunder Dragoon woke up, but their morale is shattered. They'll fall easily."

Zackwell laughed. "Death is lovely. Allow me to intervene, I have a sickly ploy in mind. In the meantime…" He walked outside and stood on a balcony. "Disappearing Dragoons seem to be a common thing. My own troupe has vanished from all sight. However, it was already too late for one of them." He looked over the horizon and gave his signature demonic grin at the little blue light coming towards him. "And there's proof right there."

* * *

As soon as the doors were shut and all outside light was extinguished, Brad suddenly realized that he hadn't lit his torch.

"I'm such an idiot…" He muttered, fumbling with his lighter until the torch caught ablaze.

Once his torch was ready, Brad began lighting Jenn's. "Okay, so we just get through these caves and we'll be fine." Then, he reminded himself, "Of course…getting through them is the real trick, ain't it?"

Jenn didn't answer, still not much for words. Brad continued his own conversation.

"We gotta stick together, though. Dogul says that these caves extend like a maze and getting lost is the last thing we need. Stick close, okay?"

"Okay."

"And keep your eyes open for Shrieker."

"For _what_?"

"That monster Dogul spoke of. He said that it lets out a high-pitch shriek before it strikes, right? And we gotta call it something, so I called it Shrieker. Not too original, I know, but it serves the purpose. Keep an eye out for him. And if you hear that scream, start running, okay?"

"Okay."

"That being said, let's keep up a good pace. This place gives me the creeps."

Brad and Jenn trudged into the dark corridors with great bravery and great fear. Their torches only lit the path a few feet around them, so anything could be lurking in the shadows.

The only present sounds were their footsteps and the crackling of the torches. It wasn't very comforting, though. Their minds kept playing tricks on them, swearing that an unfamiliar sound was being produced. Every time, though, it was nothing.

An entire day and night passed within the caves with nary a disturbance. On the second day, though, the worst-case scenario came to be.

Jenn was slowly recovering, driven by duty. She couldn't quit now. She had to go on for _his_ sake. Even so, her mind wasn't fully where it should have been. That, mixed with fear, led to her frightening dilemma.

At about one in the afternoon, Brad and Jenn came up to a junction of five new tunnels. Four of them would lead only to dead ends. Brad looked at the map.

"Okay…it should be the first left here."

This was about the time that Jenn once again swore she heard something. She stared at what she could see of the trail behind her and peered into the darkness. There it was again! She was sure of it this time! She kept looking around, frantically. The last thing she wanted was to be surprised by the monster. After another moment, she finally had to tell herself that nothing was there. Jenn turned around and beheld an empty cavern.

Brad had gone ahead without knowing that Jenn had stalled. She couldn't even see his torch anymore. Jenn felt her heart skip a beat as panic began to crawl. Quickly, she gathered her wits.

"First left." She said to herself, having heard Brad say it. There was a problem, though. When Brad said "first left," he meant the cavern immediately to the left of the center. Jenn, however, thought that it was the cavern on the far left. She took the wrong trail and ran forward.

After a short while, Jenn still hadn't seen Brad and felt panic coming upon her again. It only doubled when she saw three more tunnels in front of her. Wait! Was that a light she saw down the middle path? Frantic, she rushed for it. The further Jenn ran, the more she began to doubt herself. The paths were so twisted and criss-crossed that she became more and more lost. Jenn wondered how long it would be before panic was perfectly acceptable.

* * *

Brad, in the meanwhile, his mind set on getting out of this creepy place, kept going forward. Soon, he found two more tunnels, though there was only one on the map.

"Oh, fantastic!" He groaned, throwing his hands in the air. "I really hate this place." He studied both tunnels for a moment, and then turned around. "What do you think, Jenn? Jenn!"

No one was there.

"Oh, boy…" He began backtracking, hoping she was only a few steps behind. Brad began following his map backwards, hoping to find her, but she could have gone down any wrong path and Brad would never have known. He felt his skin beginning to scrawl.

Both parties searched tediously for an unknown time. Brad became increasingly frustrated.

"Sure, Mike! I'll take care of her! I'll watch over her with my life! Great friend you are, Brad!"

In that moment, Brad heard a faint, high-pitched shriek that caused a chill to run up and down his spine.

"Oh, no." He ran a little further. Suddenly, he heard a sound and stopped running instantly. He heard heavy footsteps up ahead somewhere. He hid against the wall and waited until they vanished in the distance. Looking around the corner, he saw nothing but a dark tunnel. He continued down it and ended up back at the five-way junction.

Just then, he heard the shriek again, a little louder. It came from the furthest left tunnel. Brad didn't think twice, but ran right into the corridor, fearing the worst.

* * *

Jenn had no way of keeping track of time anymore. The panicking instinct told her to keep searching, but her head told her to stop and rest. She'd been running around, searching for quite some time, and she was tired. Jenn had just found herself at a dead end. It was simply a little niche in the wall, but it looked like it had been used before. There were some old columns and ridges along the walls, like and old design. And what made Jenn really uncomfortable were the gargoyle-like statues perched atop ledges jutting out. Most of them looked life-like.

Jenn sat down and took a few breaths. Jenn had to light another torch before hers went out. Then she could do nothing but just sit there with her back against the wall. What would happen to her? Was she doomed to wander around until she died? Jenn knew that Mike had lost his life so that she could go on and live. Now she was going to die because she wasn't paying attention? Jenn curled up into a ball, uncomfortable with all the thoughts running through her head. She closed her eyes and tried to clear it.

But fear of the Shrieker still lingered within her, and at every little sound, her heart would skip. Jenn rested her head back on the stone wall and closed her eyes. Then, she heard something, so she quickly looked around again. Nothing. But she heard it again. Every other second, she heard a soft sound, but it was enough to get her on her toes. What was that? The more she listened, the more familiar it sounded. That everyday sound of air moving, the sound of life evidence, the sound of breathing. Something was near.

Jenn drew out her bow and put an arrow to the string. The breathing stayed at a steady pace for a while, then suddenly jumped and became shorter and more sudden. Then here was a hissing sound…right behind her. Jenn spun around. There was nothing. But then she looked up at the gargoyle statue staring down at her with hungry eyes. It was no statue. It looked like a gargoyle, except it had a longer face a row of blades on its arms, legs, and tail. Jenn was unable to determine its size, but it looked pretty big. It opened its long mouth wide, revealing it rows of razor-sharp teeth, and it let out a horrifying screeching noise.

Jenn dropped her weapon and fell to her knees, covering her ears. But she looked up just in time to see the Shrieker jump off its perch and down upon her. Instinctively, Jenn dove to the side. The creature stopped short and turned to Jenn, eyes burning and jaws hungry.

Shrieker seethed and leapt again. Once more, Jenn jumped to the side and rolled to safety. Trying to keep a speedy edge, the monster jumped again. This time, as Jenn dove, the creature swung a backhand. Shrieker contacted dead on, sending Jenn sprawling across the floor until she hit the wall and looked up, dazed.

The monster turned and leapt again. Jenn cringed in fright and prepared for the worst.

With an expulsion of magic, Shrieker flew across the room and hit the ground in a heap, unconscious.

Jenn looked up and saw the last person she wanted to see smiling down at her: Zackwell.

"That was close." He said.

"Zackwell!" Jenn drew her daggers, but with a flick of his wrist, Zackwell's magic sent them flying into a wall.

"Calm down now, human. What chance do you think you have anyway?"

Jenn knew she was helpless, but stood in defiance anyway.

Zackwell spoke. "Your race is so weak." He shook his head. "Without your powers, you Dragoons are nothing…ironic to say to a non-Dragoon, but you get my point. Speaking of which, why are you even here? You're no Dragoon. What's your duty?"

"I chose to fight like this." Jenn said. "I wanted to for the good of human kind."

"Uh-huh." He was unimpressed. "A foolish notion. You'll die quicker than they will." He waved his hand at Shrieker. "Only a few seconds with this creature and you would have died were it not for me."

"So why did you save me? To taunt me before I die?"

"Not quite." Zackwell's mischievous grin made Jenn leery. "As I said, you're just another human, nothing special. Up in these mountains, you're fodder to everything. What different can you make against my army, hmm?"

Jenn kept silent as not to show how deep Zackwell's insults actually went.

"You are in grave danger helping the Dragoons. So…if you're going to be with them, you should be making some sort of contribution, shouldn't you?" His grin extended. "There, I can help you."

"Help me?" Jenn hadn't seen that coming.

"I am a creature of great power. You've seen this for yourself. With powers like mine, who knows what-?"

"Forget it!" Jenn interrupted. "I know where this is going. You'll offer me power so that I can make a different, right? I'm new to this, but I'm not naïve, Zackwell. Siding with evil is not an option for me."

"Why not?" Zackwell shrugged. "With such power, you would be able to fly, fight, use magic, do anything you want…even…" His smile reached its peak as he struck the nail on the head. "Restore life to your fallen lover."

It hit Jenn like a train. "What did you say!"

"It's no secret of the fall your husband took. How sad you must be. You two were pretty close, weren't you?"

Jenn looked away.

"Yes, I see the sorrow in your eyes. You know how keen I've become on reviving the dead. It's a simple trick for me now and it can be for you. No strings attached. Just allow yourself to accept my abilities and your husband's life will be restored."

She was silent.

Zackwell became impatient. "Let it also be known that once I leave, the monster will awaken and surely tear you limb from limb, another instance in which an array of dark powers would be most helpful. Your time and my patience are limited. Make your choice now. You can save your life and his or lose them both and leave the Thunder Dragoon to die alone soon after. The fates of three are in your hands. Choose now."

Jenn stared at the ground, deep in thought. The pain of loss was still fresh in her spirit. Had she any powers whatsoever, she could have changed what had happened. Mike might still be alive and she could prevent others from dying. After a lengthy consideration, she looked up at Zackwell.

"No."

His eyes narrowed. "No?"

"No. No matter how pleasant it may seem, darkness is still darkness. Your powers are evil, and even if I tried using them for good, evil would still be done. Even if I revived Mike…" her voice choked at his name. "he would never look at me the same. He trusted me to do what's right, no matter what it cost me. Mike died because it was his time and I can't change that. All I can do is accept it and move on, living my life like he would have wanted me to. Besides…if I will die for rejecting evil, then I suppose I'm not too far from seeing him again. If it is my time, then so be it. I'm not afraid of death. That's why I followed the Dragoons in the first place."

"And you will die with them." Zackwell spat. "Fine. It's your decision. The fall of the Dragoons will be miserable. Be grateful you died early." He vanished in a puff of smoke.

As soon as he was gone, Shrieker's eyes opened. Jenn ran and picked up her daggers, but just as she did, Shrieker opened its mouth and screamed again. Jenn dropped down and covered her ears. When she was down, Shrieker leapt at her, blades up, ready to dig deep into its prey. Its jaws were open wide, ready to sink its razor-blade teeth into flesh. Jenn closed her eyes as the monster gave a victorious shriek in the air.

With a mighty bound and a war cry just as terrifying as Shrieker, Mike leapt over Jenn's head swinging his axe with all of his might and fury. The impact stopped Shrieker in mid air with a painful scream. The monster dropped to the ground in dire pain, clutching its wounded chest. Mike landed on his feet and stood tall and fierce.

Mike ran at the monster and struck its body again. It swiped a backhand with one of its arms, but he ducked under and struck the beast's upper arm, piercing the bone. The monster let out a wail of torment. Mike's ears were on fire, but he knew this was he chance. He gave a great punch to the monster's throat, silencing it in a gurgle. Then, he kicked it in the ribs, causing it to topple a little.

Seizing that brief window, Mike lifted his axe and swung down, striking the back of the monster's head. He struck again and the monster roared in unbearable pain. Lifting his axe one more time, with a roar of anger, Mike slammed his axe down one more time and tore through Shrieker's skull. The monster was no more.

Jenn couldn't take her eyes off of him. He was breathing in heavy breaths through gritted teeth. He was sweating intensely. His eyes were wide and wild. He was hunched over, gripping his as tight as humanly possible. His muscles were bulging to their breaking point. His veins stuck out in great blue trails along his body. He was a twitching, foaming, panting, furious monster.

But he never looked so good.

Mike's breathing became easier as the grips of desperation, fear, and instant adrenaline began to leave him. The grip on his axe loosened a little and he stood up straight again. In only two words, he sent a torrent of emotion tearing through her.

"Hey there."

Tears began to fall as Jenn rushed to him, throwing her arms around his body. Mike was quick to respond equally. Jenn didn't know how long she stood there, but she didn't much care. All she knew was that the pieces of her life were putting themselves back together.

"I thought…I thought…"

"I know, I know." He said. "It's okay though. I'm alright."

A second later, Brad rushed in, shining his torch upon the scene. Brad stared at the couple, rubbing his eyes to make sure they weren't playing tricks on him.

"It's real, Brad." Jenn said. "He's really here!"

Even so, Brad approached slowly. He reached out and touched Mike's arm, just to make sure it was more than a vision. Finally, he embraced his friend warmly. "We…we thought you were dead."

"So did I, for a bit." Mike chuckled.

"What happened?" Jenn wanted to know.

"When I fell, I thought it was over. But then I saw the giant zombie. It had slammed its axe into the mountain wall and was hanging by it. I grabbed onto its foot. When it started kicking, I used my own axe to stick into the wall."

Brad didn't believe it. "How did you strike your axe through _stone_?"

"It's embodied with the earth element, remember? It cut right through. I climbed the ledges and cut through the giant's hands and he fell the rest of the way. 'Course by that time, I was a little too weary to do much else. Besides, the sun was setting and I wouldn't be able to do much. Fortunately for me, the giant's axe was still in the mountainside, creating a nice wind shield, so I spent the night behind it. Even so, it was freezing.

"The next morning-this morning-I climbed back up the whole way, but I wasn't feeling too hot. I didn't make it much farther before I was discovered by Logun, a giganto. Evidently, you two met them, particularly one named Dogul?"

"Yeah." Brad said. "We helped 'em out and they let us stay the night."

"So I heard. They told me about you two passing through and how you went into these forbidden caves."

"Not so forbidden anymore, are they?" Jenn pointed to the Shrieker's corpse.

"Wow." Brad said. "That's an entry."

"That was luck." Mike chuckled. "Barely got here in time. Luckily, I heard the scream before it was too late."

Jenn clasped her arms around her husband again with a large grin over her face. "I'm just glad you're back."

"Me too." Brad said.

"Good to see you guys again, too. But…let's get on out of here, okay? It's not over yet."

Brad had to nod. "Yeah…let's go." They left, Jenn clinging tightly to Mike.

* * *

It took them all another day to get redirected and finally find the exit, but at least they made it. At the end of a long corridor, they came upon two large stone doors.

"Doors open outward and we are home free!" Brad rejoiced. "Let's hurry! I'm getting claustrophobic!"

"Okay!" Mike spoke up. "You two get the right door, I'll get the left." They lined up. "Now _push_!" They began pressing their bodies against the giant doors meant for creatures much stronger than them. Still, with a good deal of effort and will, The doors began to slide open. Being smaller, the three humans fit through a small opening and then pushed the doors back shut.

At last, the three of them turned and beheld a long, rocky plain. They couldn't see a single mountain ahead of them and they weren't sorry.

"Looks like smooth sailing ahead." Mike sighed gratefully.

"Don't speak too soon now!" A voice seethed. With a flash of wingly magic, Melbu Frahma appeared.

"Melbu." Mike sneered. Melbu didn't look much happier to see the human.

"I could have sworn you had died. How did you live! Stripped of your powers, assaulted by a creature twice your size, tumbling down a mountain, and yet you _live_! How on earth do you continue to thrive!"

Mike brandished his axe. "I'm a Dragoon. We all are." The other two got into offensive stances.

Melbu scoffed. "Maybe." He drew his blade. "But you're still human!" He leapt at them and they moved away, instantly ready for a battle, though there were not sure they could win it this time.

Mike swung his axe left and right, but he was too slow and the emperor got a few blows in, nothing lethal, thankfully. Brad quickly rushed to his aid with a flying kick to Melbu's side, toppling him. The wingly jumped right back up and started thrashing about in a furious frenzy. Brad was sure to stay back and avoid any damage.

During the evasions, Brad gathered energy into his electric gauntlets by rubbing them together. The instant Melbu stopped slashing, Brad unleashed his electric attack on Melbu's chest. The wingly took the hit easily and smiled.

"It'll take more than magic to beat a wingly."

"Should've guessed that." Brad said.

"Yes, you should have!" He thrust his hand forward and Brad fell off the rock he was standing on and landed on his back. "You Dragoons are slacking! You should foresee these things!"

"You too!" Mike said. Melbu turned and met with his fist, falling off the boulder. Mike jumped down, swinging his axe, but Melbu teleported away. Thinking quickly, Mike repositioned his axe and it took the hit of Melbu's sword as it reappeared.

Brad reappeared too with another flying kick. Melbu jumped back to his feet and leapt into a kick of his own, striking Brad's jaw, but not toppling him. Brad got a few punches in before his arm was sliced by Melbu's blade. Being a Dragoon for a little too long, he paid little heed to the mark and swung a few more kicks. Melbu finally caught one and flipped him backwards, then knocked him away with a magical wave.

"Pathetic!" He laughed. "You humans are too easy!" He shot another magic wave to knock Mike into a tall boulder. In impact winded him a little and he dropped his axe. Melbu Frahma teleported over to him and grabbed his throat. "Now…DIE!" He drew back his blade.

Mike suddenly cringed as a flying dagger struck Melbu in the back of the head. His eyes went wide a second before he dropped dead to the ground. Mike looked up at Jenn, who held her other dagger in her hand. Mike looked down at the dead Melbu, then back at her.

"You could've hit me!"

Jenn shook her head. "I lost you once. No way was I going to let it happen again. Besides…he would have killed you anyway."

Mike groaned in relief as Brad walked over and watched Melbu's body dissipate into black dust.

"That was…too easy." Brad noted.

"He wasn't paying any attention to Jenn." Mike said. "He thought you and I were the only potential threats. He underestimated us…and it cost him."

"How ironic." Brad smiled. "A non-Dragoon took him out in one minute. Good work, Jenn."

"Thanks…now can we go before he decides to come back?"

Mike nodded. "C'mon."

* * *

After that brief incident, the trio met no further incidents. They continued their search for the meeting point, Merging Rock.

"Is this is?" Brad asked, walking up to a stone formation of three long rocks, jutting out in different directions, merging as one.

"Gotta be." Mike said. "Looks like we're the first to arrive."

"So what do we do?"

"Wait."

"You're kidding me."

"I don't have any other plans."

Brad groaned. "That sucks."

Mike sat down on the side of Merging Rock that faced the direction of Zackwell's castle. At the angle the rocks formed, it was quite shady. He found himself very comfortable and soon dozed off, oblivious to the world.

An unknown time later, he suddenly awoke to Brad's exclamation.

"BRITTANY!"

Mike bolted up, banging his head on the rock. "DAH!" He cried, clutching his forehead in pain.

"Oh, yikes." Jenn said. "Are you okay!"

"I will be…what's all that hollering?"

"Come see!"

Mike came out to see Brad embracing Brittany tightly. Melissa and Christie were not far behind. Mike's eyes widened and he rushed to embrace his sister.

"Didn't see you for a second there!" Melissa said. "I started to worry!"

"Ah, I'm tougher than that!" He laughed.

"I'm glad you all made it out in one piece." Jenn said.

"Same to you guys." Christie concurred. "Has no one else shown up yet?"

"No, no sign." Mike said. "We're the only ones here, as far as I know."

Christie seemed disappointed. They knew she missed Ben. "Well…we'll just have to wait for them, I guess."

"Won't be waiting long!" Brad said, pointing in the distance. "Check it out!"

They all looked to find a few figures trudging along in the distance, coming their way.

"I count four!" Melissa observed. "They're all okay!"

Mike let out a deep sigh of relief. "Thank God we all made it okay."

"What did you expect?" Brad laughed. "We're Dragoons!" He looked back at the approaching group. "I just hope they had more fun than we did."

* * *

"…We could do anything we want-why do you fight that?"

"Because of your intentions. You use this power to serve Zackwell!"

The dark side grinned and let out a small chuckle. "Oh, how little you know."

The eyes of the light side narrowed. "What does that mean?"

The dark figure walked over to his counterpart and knelt down to him. "Do you actually think I'm in this for Zackwell's benefit? He knows that we have the potential to become greater than he is. The flaw is that he thinks he can control us."

The light side saw his plan. "You're planning on betraying him."

The dark figure smiled. "Once he unlocks our full potential. Otherwise, we'll just have to find it for ourselves. Either way, if I'm supposed to be the most powerful being on earth, I'm not going to take orders from Zackwell."

"Don't you mean 'we'?" The light figure asked.

The dark figure turned his head. "Oh, you're playing along too? It was my assumption that you'd fight me to the death!"

The light figure knew he'd been caught in his own words, so he said nothing to make it worse.

The darker side spoke again. "C'mon, just help me out willingly-it'll make us a lot stronger if we cooperate. Then, you'll be free of Zackwell, the bane of your existence! You'll be saving the world, you know? C'mon, let's put aside our differences and work together. You _do _want to save the human race…don't you?"

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Another short, dull, chapter, I know. Sorry for the wait, but the school play was last week and Spike and I had to give it our utmost attention. Now it's done and Easter Break starts Wednesday. I'm quite excited and will have more time to work on the next segment. Plus, that segment is my favorite of the three and I hope you'll enjoy it, too. I'll try to get on the ball, okay? Thanks for sticking it out this far. Enjoying the story? Please review!


	18. Out of the Frying Pan and into the Fire

Chapter Eighteen: Out of the Frying Pan and into the Fire

The morning had arrived. The sun shone down across the land, onto various prey. The jaguar eyed the animals, deciding which one would be next. Then it saw them. Four creatures lying on the ground, sleeping. It would be an easy catch. The cat stealthy moved closer, then stopped and analyzed the situation. They seemed to have plenty of meat, and apparently were no match for it. Slowly, but surely, the jaguar moved closer, taking each step carefully, as not to wake its prey and let it escape.

When it was in place, the jaguar crouched down and stayed steady, snarling…then it pounced, roaring. But then the sleeping creature leapt up and spun around with a long, sharp object in its grip. The object cut through the jaguar's neck, sending the head rolling.

Sean let out a sigh of relief and put his sword away. "I hate anything that wakes me up."

Robert awoke from the commotion and stared at the jaguar head sitting on his chest, staring at him.

"What a great little thing to wake up to."

"What is?" Marian yawned, awakening.

"Nothing." He knocked it away and wiped the blood off his shirt. "That's disgusting."

Sean stretched. "Hey, at least we have breakfast."

"Ugh. I think I'll pass."

"I hear breakfast?" Ben asked, waking and sitting up straight.

"Yeah, get a fire started and we'll cook this sucker."

Ben reached for his Dragoon Spirit, but it was not there. "Oh, yeah…hang on." He'd have to resort to the old-fashioned way.

* * *

Sean, Ben, Robert, and Marian had been traveling across a savannah for over a week now. The land was dry and so was the air. The Dragoons had enough water, but it didn't make the trip much more pleasant. Fortunately, they had known enough to wear cool clothing, but sometimes, it felt like even that was enough. Marian often felt jealous. If the guys got too hot, they took off their shirts. What was _she_ to do?

After coming this far, the Dragoons were pretty much used to the heat, or as much so as one could be. They were trudging along, step by step, looking out for any dangers to come their way. Fortunately, the jaguar had been the only real threat thus far. _Un_fortunately, that meant the worst was yet to come. Zackwell wouldn't let them off so easily, they all knew it. He had to have plans.

Fortunately, the veteran Dragoons were always on alert, and they had Sean to top it off. They would be ready for anything…maybe.

Ben wiped the sweat from his brow again. "I hope Christie isn't this miserable." He muttered.

"They're probably cooling off in a lake somewhere." Sean said snidely. "Well…Brittany might be at least. Melissa's probably shoving them forward with every step." He chuckled a little. Remembering why, Sean glared at the ground.

Ben saw it and put his hand on Sean's shoulders. "We'll get 'em back."

"Oh, I know…I was just trying to choose between the different ways to kill Zackwell."

Ben laughed. "I can think of a few." He rubbed the hilt of his blade.

Behind them, Marian stopped walking and turned around.

"Sup?" Robert asked her. The others stopped walking too.

"Something's not right."

"What do you mean?"

Her eyes narrowed, searching across the plane. "I'm not sure…I just…feel that something isn't right."

Robert looked around, then at Ben and shrugged. "I don't feel anything."

"Winglies are more in tune with nature than we are, Rob." Sean said, stepping to Marian's side. "Besides…I think she's right."

"If winglies are more in tune than humans, how can _you_ feel something?" Rob asked.

"Raised by a wingly and a dragon." Sean said. "Something just doesn't feel right here."

Marian was getting uncomfortable. "We should get going…quickly."

Sean nodded. "I agree. C'mon, everyone. Step it up a bit."

They walked a bit faster, sometimes jogging, not quite sure what they were trying to escape from. As they kept moving, Sean and Marian kept feeling that ominous feeling that something bad was coming. Pretty soon, their ears picked up something, too.

"Do you hear that?" Marian stopped walking. They all listened.

"I hear nothing." Ben said.

Marian turned to Sean. "Do _you_ hear something?"

Sean focused. "Very slightly…not quite sure. What do you hear?"

"Some distant commotion…I'm really not sure what it is, but…it sounds like it's getting closer."

They all listened. Soon, Robert said, "I…think I'm starting to hear it, too." They waited, hoping to the sound to get clearer.

"Thunder?" Ben asked. "No…not a cloud in the sky."

"There might be some in the distance behind us." Sean said. "I can't see over that hill. I'll go check." He jogged back up a long hill that they had recently descended. Quickly, he reached the top and scanned the Savannah.

The others watched him reach the top, then freeze. A second later, he began running like a mad man back towards them. As he approached, he shouted, "STAMPEDE!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a rush of wildebeests stormed down the hill in a blind frenzy, braying out in fear.

The Dragoons, naturally, freaked. The four of them bolted at the top of their ability. They had a head start, but the wild animals were significantly faster than the humans. Every time they looked back, they were closer.

"We can't outrun them!" Robert said. "We gotta think of something else!"

Suddenly, Ben did. He drew out his sword, stopped, and spun, swinging a low arc that struck the grass. The fiery power of his elemental blade sparked the dry grass and ignited them instantly.

"ROB!" He shouted. "WIND!"

Seeing his plan, Robert swung his spear rapidly, generating wind with its magical properties and fanning the flames. Naturally, the wildebeests panicked at the sight of fire and quickly altered their course, running in a different direction from the Dragoons. They all took a quick breather.

"Nice thinking, Ben." Sean complimented. "Now how do we put it out before it burns down the Savannah?"

Ben blinked. "Well…"

Before he could think of an idea, Zackwell himself appeared, floating above the flames. With an evil grin, he spread a dark mist upon the flames, and then disappeared.

"That can't be good." Robert said. Sure enough, the flames began to twitch and jump about, and then suddenly, some formed together, growing taller and more menacing. To add ridiculous to regrettable, two black eyes appeared in the flames, as well as a malicious grin. The fire was staring down at them.

Ben just stared right back, incredulous. Then, he looked over at the other Dragoons and found them glaring right at him. "Well, don't blame me!"

"Oh, I blame you!" Robert seethed.

"Run!" Sean ordered as the living fire suddenly swung a burning claw at them. The grass around them was easily ignited and the fiery monster simply moved along the flame trails. The Dragoons utilized all the muscles in their legs to stay away from the glowing demon. Everywhere they went, they were treading on fuel for their pursuer, so it always kept up, spreading flames here and there and moving along them.

As it pursued, the monster launched fireballs at them, which the Dragoons avoided as best they could. Some of the fireballs were thrown in front of the Dragoons to block their path, but they always got around. Suddenly, Sean noticed that a couple were not hitting the ground, but seemingly passing through. When he looked again, he saw it.

"CLIFF!" They all screeched to a halt at the edge of a sudden drop. Below and beyond, there was no grass at all, just a seemingly endless plain of rocks. In the distance, they could see the volcano.

Looking down, Sean noticed that the height wasn't too great. Plus, the fireballs the monster had thrown were nothing but smoldering ashes on the rock.

"There's nothing to burn down there!" Sean said. "Jump!" And he did so, followed by his comrades. The cliff curved inwards, so the Dragoons quickly ducked under the arch. They could see little ashes and embers falling from the cliff as the monster approached.

They waited for the creature to run out of tinder and wither away. It could take some time, but they were more than willing to wait it out.

Just then, a fiery face leaned over and roared at the hidden Dragoons. They cried out in shock and fear. The beast gathered in a massive breath and exhaled a great, continuous flame that engulfed the Dragoons. The beast kept up this attack for as long as it could before finally running out of fuel and energy. It fell upon the rocks and vanished in a smoldering pile of embers and smoke.

To escape the smoke, Marian kept her magical shield up and beckoned the Dragoons to run with her. When they were in an area that they could safely breathe, Marian dropped the shield and leaned over, taking in gulps of air.

Sean turned back and looked at the smoke rising from both the rocks and the grassy plain. "Excellent thinking, Marian." He complimented. "We owe you our lives."

She gave a thumbs-up, a little too weak to speak. Robert helped her up. Ben put his hand on her shoulder as an expression of this thanks, then looked onward.

"There's the volcano. After that experience, I'm a little more nervous."

Sean shook his head. "If it means getting Eric back, I couldn't care less. Everyone ready to go?"

Marian stood up and nodded. "I'm ready."

"Excellent. C'mon."

* * *

Thin, grey clouds were starting to cover the sky, but didn't look threatening enough for storm clouds. A light drizzle would be the worst thing that could come upon them.

The Dragoons were actually thankful for the clouds, for they blocked out some of the heat shining down upon them. They had enough troubles of their own. The rocks were hard and sharp. The Dragoons would often slip or stumble and wind up with plenty of cuts and scrapes.

After several hours on the miserable plain, the Dragoons finally reached the base of the volcano. The problem was that it was a little too late in the evening.

"The quickest way past this thing to climb across it. The thing is, I don't want to get stuck up in a mountain come nightfall. We'll camp out here tonight and spend tomorrow crossing." No one disagreed. They set up camp as best they could. There was no way to start a fire, so they'd all be turning in early.

Ben stared up at the mountain until his neck hurt. It was immense. There seemed to be paths leading up it, but it wouldn't be easy. It was really steep. Ben feared falling once he was high up.

The four of them sat around in a circle, just thinking about the ascent.

"What if that thing erupts?" Marian suddenly asked.

Sean shrugged. "I don't know what to do about that. That's another reason I want to cross quickly. We're doomed if that happens."

"That would really suck." Robert said. "I mean, we get through all we've been through and die from a volcano."

"What an odd twist that would be." Marian commented.

"Not when you know Zackwell." Ben said, shaking his head. "We've grown to expect the worst."

"Guess I'm still new at this."

"It's alright. Hey, this mustn't be too weird for you."

She gave him a look. "Actually, climbing a volcano is very weird."

"No, I mean, not having a Dragoon Spirit. We've had them practically all our lives and now they're gone. You've never had one."

"Yeah, that part isn't too weird. But fighting alongside Dragoons, even without their powers is always an experience."

"Try being one." Rob said.

"I wish I could, really."

"Which would you be?" Ben asked out of curiosity.

"Dragoon? I don't know. Something that can make me stronger, physically, definitely."

"That kind of comes with the package." Sean said.

"Well, I don't know then. Not light or darkness. Water is pretty cool. But I like that wind one."

"Figures." Ben and Sean chuckled.

"But in all honesty, I don't know. Any would do, just about. Just the thrill of being a Dragoon is enough." She leaned back on her hands, thinking about it. "What I wouldn't give."

"How about a free life?" Robert asked. "How about your confidence? How about everything you know and believe?"

"How about your sanity!" Ben said.

"Or how about everyone around you?" Sean put in. "Or best yet, your life?"

"Alright, alright, I get it! There's more to being a Dragon than just the glory."

"Much more." They all said.

"It ain't just free-flying fun." Robert said. "You have to be willing to risk anything."

"And be prepared to go through anything." Ben said.

"Or to lose anyone." Sean said.

"Well." Marian said, curling into a ball. "There's a similar process in coming to the human worlds." They all gave her that one. "But…I've kind of already signed up for that haven't I? I mean, I'm fighting with the Dragoons, getting into their battles, and putting myself into the same dangers. So…I'm kind of an honorary Dragoon, aren't I?"

"I guess," Sean said with a shrug.

"Still, actually having a Dragoon Spirit would make me a bit more comfortable."

"I wish there were more." Sean said. "There were more Dragons, such as Feyrbrand and Regole, and Michael, but who knows what happened to their spirits?"

"Maybe Zackwell has those too." Ben guessed.

"That reminds me." Marian said. "Doesn't him having the Dragoon Spirits put us at an impossible disadvantage? I mean, can he use them?"

"No." Sean assured. "The dragons answer only to those they wish. No one can force it upon them. The only way Zackwell could ever use a Dragoon Spirit is if a Dragon actually chose him to bear his powers. But our Dragons hate him as much as we do. He's just doing this to make our lives harder."

"And it's working." Robert groaned.

Ben yawned. "Man, I'm tired."

"Yeah," Robert said, "I'm bushed myself."

"The sun is almost gone." Sean said. "Let's turn in for tonight. We start early tomorrow."

* * *

The next morning wasn't much more promising than the last. The atmosphere was still the same. And the gang was really uncomfortable on the rocks, so no one got much sleep. Everyone was groggy, but they had no choice but to go forward.

"Let's go," Sean said. "The sooner we get up this thing, the better."

"We just gonna climb right up?"

"No, I found a better way." Sean had gone ahead to check out the volcano for any sort of paths. "I found a way up on a sort of trail. It's a little steep in some places, but it's better than rock climbing. Follow me."

They were all grateful about one thing. The volcano hadn't made a noise at all. It seemed dormant.

The path Sean found seemed pretty easy. It led up in a zigzag way and seemed to take forever, but it was the only way they had.

The hours passed and the Dragoons climbed higher and higher up the volcano. And the higher they went up, the more dangerous the trail became.

They came to another point where the trail would curve around and go up the ledge on their right.

"Man, this is like trying to get to the best ride at an amusement park!" Ben said.

"Just don't look down." Sean said as he curved around and began to ascend higher.

Ben stopped and began to sweat. He gulped and looked down. "Whoa!"

"Told ya."

"Hey," Ben said, looking up at him. "You know that every time someone says not to look down, the other person looks down!"

Sean shook his head and then froze. There was a small rumbling sound, and it was getting louder at a rapid rate. Sean turned around just to see a large boulder tumbling down at them.

"Whoa!" Sean leapt out of the way and the boulder slammed right where he had been and headed straight for Ben. Ben leapt to the side to escape it, but also leapt back. His feet slipped on the gravel at the edge of the cliff and finally, he slipped off the edge.

"BEN!" Everyone shouted. Ben grabbed the edge, but couldn't get a good grip on it. His fingers began to lose their hold. His hands slid off the stone and he fell.

A hand suddenly grabbed his wrist and he stopped. Sean was hanging by one hand on the cliff with Ben in his other. He strained, but like Ben, he couldn't get a good hold on the rocks. But that's when Robert and Marian grabbed hold of him and slowly began pulling him back up. Then, they helped Ben back up.

All four of them leaned against the ledge, breathing heavily from the adrenaline rush.

"You okay?" Sean asked.

"Yeah…thanks."

"We really have to get off this mountain." Robert said. "It's a bad accident waiting to happen."

"Let's move then." Sean said. And once again, they were on the move. Ben took one more look off the side and shivered.

* * *

_RRRRRRRRRGGGGGGG!_

"What in the world was that?" Sean asked, stopping some time later.

"My stomach." Ben said. "I'm starving!"

"Me too." Robert said. "We haven't had anything to eat in nearly two days now."

"Another reason to cross as quickly as possible." Sean said. "But we can go months without food."

"But only three days without water," Robert pointed out, holding up his nearly empty canteen.

"Well, I haven't seen a stream or brook or anything thus far, have you? Much less anything that can possibly pass as edible. Let's just try to get to the forest as fast as possible. There has to be water there for it to grow. Plus, there will be plenty of food. So keep moving."

"Quite the motivational speaker." Marian said, half meaningful.

They'd come a long way, now, and they were tired. Rockslides weren't too frequent, luckily. Every time they looked down, now, they'd get dizzy from the height. But so far, there seemed to be no end to this path. Then, they saw it.

Sean, being in the front, stopped when he saw it and the others gathered around him. It was an opening in the volcano. The normal path went on, but this new one brought up questions.

"Which way should we go?" Marian asked.

"I say we go inside." Ben said. "I could lead us right through the volcano, instead of around it. We'll get through faster."

"Then again," Sean said. "It could just lead to a dead end."

"So what do we do, flip a coin?" Robert asked.

BOOOOOOMMM!

The volcano shook and the Dragoons fell to the ground. The same fearful thought ran through their heads. Had the volcano erupted? When they looked up, they saw it hadn't, but there was a more immediate danger. Many boulders were falling from the mountain and heading for them.

"Get in! Go!" Sean commanded and no one argued. They leapt into the opening just as the rocks crumbled around where they had once stood.

BOOOOMM! BOOOOMM! BOOOOMM!

The volcano rumbled more and more boulders fell. They began bouncing off each other and falling off the cliff, but then Zackwell appeared with a grin. He created a black bubble around the tunnel and the rocks continued to pile up and soon, the path was blocked entirely and the last light disappeared.

No one moved in the darkness.

"Is everyone alright?" Sean's voice called out.

He got three yeses.

"So now what?" Robert asked.

"We have only one choice, obviously!" Sean said. "We'll have to find our way around here."

"But how?" Marian asked. "We can't see! And who knows how many tunnels there are? We could be stuck in here forever!"

"No, only three days." Robert said. "Then we'll die of thirst."

"Look," Sean said. "What else can we do? So what if we stumbled around in the dark? We just might find a way if we try!"

"Any ideas on how to go about that?"

"Not yet."

"So do we just sit here until you think of something?"

"Probably."

"Hey, listen," Ben said. "You guys can stay here if you want, but I'm out of here."

Suddenly, a bright light glowed in the darkness and the Dragoons shielded their eyes from it.

"What is that!" Sean said.

"A flashlight."

"You brought one?"

"Yeah. Just in case. Tons of batteries too. So are we going or not?"

Sean stood. "Yes we are. Lead the way."

As they looked around, there was only one tunnel to follow, and they took it. Ben's light showed a seemingly endless trail within the volcano. Who knew where it led? Hopefully, it led to the other side.

An unknown time passed by. But there were no signs of the end.

BOOOOMM! The Dragoons wobbled and leaned on the walls to steady themselves.

"What keeps doing that!" Robert asked to no one in particular. The volcano rumbled again and this time, it was more severe. Ben dropped his flashlight and the light went out on contact, but it seemed no longer necessary. There was a faint red light up ahead. The Dragoons looked at each other and continued. The light grew stronger, as did the heat. They were all perspiring greatly now.

"Yeesh," Marian said. "It's as hot as a-"

"Volcano?" More than one person said.

"Point taken."

Despite the rising heat, they still moved on.

Soon, the exit grew clear. They were walking right towards a room giving off a glowing red tint. At long last, they stepped out of the tunnel. They were now in a large, stone, hollow area. There were cliffs and ledges all along the inside of this place.

The Dragoons all looked at each other, then straight up. Yep, there was a hole, letting the late-afternoon sunlight in.

"That proves it." Ben said. "My friends, we are inside the volcano."

"Then that means…" Marian let her voice trail off as they all looked down. A giant pool of magma was below them. It was a good deal lower, though.

"Well, this thing won't erupt anytime soon." Sean exhaled and wiped the sweat off his forehead and looked around. About two hundred feet from the mouth of the volcano was another tunnel.

"Hey guys, look." He pointed to it. "Something tells me that's our way out of here."

"And how do we get there?"

"Just look around. There's a path here just like outside. Let's follow it quickly." They began walking. They dared not run with the heat. A couple of times, they found spot where they could just climb up one level instead of walking all around.

The tunnel got closer and closer, until it was only two levels above them and a quarter of the way around.

"Alright!" Sean said. "We're almost home free!"

But almost is never enough.

The volcano rumbled again and the Dragoons got down on one knee to avoid falling down into the magma. They looked down and the magma was bubbling furiously. Then, they heard a sort of roar. Then it came.

It shot out of the magma and grabbed hold of a ledge and looked up at them. It was the same fiery beast from the grasslands.

"No…" Sean said. It roared, blasting intense heat waves at their faces. Then flames erupted from its mouth. The Dragoons pressed back against the walls and the fire shot straight up past them.

"Keep moving!" Sean said. Get to the exit!"

They kept running and the demon began climbing higher. Its lower body was in the magma, which was somehow rising behind it.

The Dragoons ran until they got to a point where they could jump up and did so and began running away from the door to try and get to the next ledge.

Suddenly, flames covered the path, blocking their way. Sean looked up at the higher ledge and got an idea.

"Marian! Fly up to that ledge right above me!" Marian did so, then Sean turned to the others. "Ben!" He shouted, putting his hands together like a step. "Go up! Marian! Help him!"

Ben looked up and nodded. Then he planted his foot on Sean's hands and got up onto the ledge. Marian helped pull him the rest of the way. Just then, a burning hand grabbed hold of the ledge they other two stood on, where the flames were. Then, another flaming hand landed on the other side of Sean and Robert.

"Go, Rob, go!" Robert also leapt off his hands and got onto the ledge. That's when the fiery beast arose from the flames and glared down at Sean. It reeled back to breath out flames. Sean grabbed an item out of his pocket and threw it. It was a Spear Frost, a water based item. Long, sharp icicles began shooting through the beast. It fell back into the magma.

Sean bounced off a rock jutting out and made it up to the ledge with the help of the others. Now, they were all equal with the door. All they had to do was run, so they did.

The flaming beast roared again and pounded its massive fists against the volcano walls.

BOOOOMM! Boulders fell from the mouth of the volcano. So that's what was causing the rockslides. The boulders fell and broke the path ahead of the Dragoons. Now they were trapped.

Ben, who was in the front, didn't let it phase him. He ran as fast as he could and leapt across and made it.

"Come on, guys! It's not that far!"

BOOOOMM! More boulders fell. Ben leapt back as it broke through where he'd just been standing. Now they couldn't just leap across. Robert got an idea.

"Get back!" They did and Robert gathered up speed and, using his spear, pole-vaulted across the gap. "C'mon, Marian!"

"Sean!" She said. "Don't panic!" Marian extended her wings again, then grabbed hold of Sean and flew ahead, straining against his weight, but made it across.

"Thanks." Sean said. "Now KEEP MOVING!" They ran again. They heard one more roar and looked behind them. The flame demon breathed one last flaming wave behind them. Ben, Robert, Marian, and Sean immediately ran into the tunnel, which turned a different way and the flames missed them.

But they weren't out of the woods yet. They still had to get off the volcano. They didn't need a light because there already was one. The pathway out was just ahead. They put all their energy into running as the fiery head peered into the tunnel and breathed its flames. Right when they got out, they ducked to the sides and the flames shot past.

They were outside again. "Hey! I can see the forest!" Ben said cheerfully. Everyone else just glared at him. More fire shot out. Ben pulled a Burn Out from his pocket and powered it up, then tossed it in. There was an explosion and the tunnel caved in, blocking the flames.

The four rested their heads on the rocks and sighed in relief. But then, burning ash began falling from the sky. They all looked up. Smoke was rising from the mouth of the volcano as it began to tremble.

"That's not good, right?" Marian asked.

"No, not at all." Sean said. "Okay, any plans on how to get down from this volcano before it blows?"

Now, it was Robert's turn to be a hero. He looked about and saw something right in front of them. It was a long, wide slab of mountain sticking out. Robert looked at another angle and saw that it was fairly thick.

"Everyone! Get on that!" They all did. Then, Robert pulled a Gushing Magma from her sack and placed where the slab met the ledge. "Now hang on!"

"What exactly are we doing?" Ben asked.

"Surfing."

"What!"

BOOM! The item made a wide explosion and the slab was broken free. It fell off and began sliding down the mountainside with four passengers.

That's when the volcano erupted. Boiling lava spewed from the mouth and poured down. Fire, smoke, ash, and lava flew from the volcano as the demon appeared at the top. It merged in with the lava and began following them.

The slab of stone slid down the volcano at a great rate, but the flames weren't far behind, especially with the demon helping it move. A melting head emerged from the lava, as well as two arms, reaching out for them. The arms got closer and closer, reaching for them, with no signs of slowing.

The Dragoons crossed their fingers and got as far in the front as possible, grasping the ledges for dear life. Somehow, the rock stayed on its bottom side the whole time. Finally, the demon made one final lunge. But it missed and fell to its face. It got back up as it began to slow and fired a powerful red ball at them. The ball hit the back of the slab and a great explosion sent it flying. The slab was literally thrown off the mountainside and flew through the air.

Ben shouted. "IF WE DIE, THIS WILL BE THE MOST AWESOME DEATH IN THE WORLD! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

WHAM!"

They crashed back on the slope and, incredibly, no one was thrown off. The stone ledge kept sliding and bouncing along. It suddenly hit a rough spot and flipped, threatening to land on the Dragoons, but as it did, the rock hit another rough patch and flipped a few more times before landing on its underside once more. The stone slab slid the rest of the way down the mountain and skidded across level ground a few hundred feet until it came to a full stop.

"GO FOR THE FOREST!" Sean shouted. And they ran once more. The Dragoons ran and ran and kept looking back, seeing the lava slowly slide down the volcano.

Finally, one by one, they began slowing and soon, they came to a full stop, looking back at the volcano. It could never catch up to them now.

They all looked at each other. Their hair was wild, their clothes were torn, their bodies were beaten, their faces were hot, and they were covered in sweat and ash. They stood there, breathing heavily.

"Guys." Ben said. "We just escaped an exploding volcano by riding on a stone sled! That proves it." He raised his fists up high. "WE ARE INVINCIBLE!"

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hopefully, that was exciting enough for you. Sorry about the wait. Well, the third group has started thier adventure and plenty of surprises await them, so stick around. Please tell us what you think. FYI: Some of you are probably wondering about the delays in Spike's story. Unfortunately, his computer is failing him, so his work has grinded to a halt. However, Spike assures you all that he is doing all that he can to get the next chapter up, so cross your fingers and hope that he gets his computer back and running. Later!


	19. Those Who Lived

Chapter Nineteen: Those Who Lived

"Man, that was awesome!" Ben said. They'd been walking for a time, but were still talking about their experience with the volcano. "When that fire thing came up, I thought we were doomed, but we were just too quick for him!"

"What good is power when your enemy is too quick to feel it?" Sean asked with a smile.

Marian asked, "And who would have thought that sliding down a mountain on nothing but a slab of rock could be so…exhilarating?"

Ben raised his hand. "I, uh…I did."

Robert joined him. "Me too."

She rolled her eyes. "Of course. Oh, well, at least we're-OW!" She slipped and cut her ankle on another sharp rock, then seethed at the pain. "Let's just get to the forest, okay?"

"I agree." Robert nodded. "We're out of water. There's bound to be a brook or pond or something in the forest."

"Just ahead." Sean nodded forward and they kept marching. They walked less than an hour more and they arrived in the lush green forest. The grass was a lot easier on their feet than the rocks.

The sun was setting already, and they traveled as much as they could into the forest until the volcano environment was completely out of sight. The overhead trees made it seem darker than it was.

Within a few short minutes, they spotted it. They came through a few bushes into a large clearing…with a large lake in the middle.

"WATER!" They all shouted and ran up to it and dunked their heads in. It wasn't just that they were thirsty. When you go through the blazing heat of a volcano, you grow to appreciate the cool, refreshing feeling of water running around your face. Once they'd drank as much as they could, they all refilled their canteens and sat back. This clearing would be the perfect spot to turn in for the night.

Sean spotted a deer not too long after and they feasted upon it.

"Well, this has been a crazy day, hasn't it?" Sean asked them all.

"This all only happened in one day?" Robert said with a groan.

"Feels like a lifetime." Ben said.

Marian leaned back and rested her head behind her hands. "This is quite an experience."

"How do you feel," Robert asked. "now that you're in it with the rest of us?"

Marian seemed to struggle for matching words. "Strangely calm. I mean, I'm filthy as heck, I'm on the verge of being chopped into tiny bits, roasted like a marshmallow, or who knows what else, and I'm sleeping outside on a dirt floor in Bug City…and this doesn't feel weird!"

"You were meant to be with us." Rob said. "Either that or we really rubbed of on you over these past few days."

"I think it's a mixture of both. I do seem to have a neck for these things, but when you've been outside in the savanna and barren wastelands with three guys who seek entertainment by beating each other up and jumping into danger, you can't help but be like 'em."

"Most women would be very afraid of that." Ben said with a nod.

Marian sniffed. "Yeesh. I'm just glad I don't smell like you guys."

"Say what?"

"You guys smell like sulfur."

"Well, we did just hop from a volcano." Sean said. "And so did you."

Marian smelled her clothing. "Whoa! I need a bath."

"Water's right there." Rob said. "Knock yourself out."

"I think I will."

The guys got up and left to give Marian some privacy. She removed her clothing at a rapid speed and anxiously dove right in.

* * *

Zackwell appeared at the spot where his army had stopped.

"What's all this I hear about sudden sicknesses?"

"It's somethin' in this forest!" One zombie said. "Since we got here, we've all been sick!"

Zackwell sighed. Then he felt it. He took a deep breath and used his powers to scan the area.

"Poisonous fumes. But where are they coming from?"

"Like we'd know!"

Zackwell looked at them all and held his hands out. A black ray went over all of them. Then, the sick got up and everyone was refreshed.

"I will return shortly." Then he vanished.

While he was teleporting, he scanned the forest for the Dragoons. They were a good distance away. Zackwell reappeared in a tree in the middle of a clearing and looked around. Then he froze when he saw a nude human female in the lake below.

"This is different." Then he made himself invisible.

Marian loved getting into the water after a week of traveling. She could finally wash off the stench of sweat, zombie, dirt and mud, ash, smoke, sulfur, and men.

After a time of washing, Marian sank down in the water just for the thrill of it. She sank to the bottom, which wasn't too far. There seemed to be nothing more refreshing than this in the world. Being the Water Dragoon might be kind of cool. The question arose in her mind again. What Dragoon would she be if she had a choice? Something strong. Water was cool, but she might get tired of it. Darkness and Light got caught up in too many crazy situations. She couldn't decide. What if there were others? If she could be the Dragoon of anything, what would it be?

Finally, she came up for air and took a deep breath. Then she coughed. She must have inhaled something. Marian swam around for a little bit more and sleep finally began to overpower her. She was getting really tired. She finally got out of the water and had to just drip-dry. She nearly fell where she stood, she was so tired. She had to wash her clothes off too before putting them back on. Then she told the guys to come on back and Zackwell vanished.

He reappeared back with the zombies. "The sicknesses are already beginning to take a toll on the Dragoons as well. Go now! They are a good distance away, but you do not need sleep! Run now and storm them while they're weak! Go! Go!"

The zombies roared and took off after then and Zackwell folded his wings around himself and disappeared with an evil laugh.

* * *

"You look tired." Robert said.

"I am." Marianreplied."Really tired. I guess that bath really did it for me. But anyway, are you guys gonna wash up at all?"

Ben looked at the water, then at a rock extending a little ways. Then he ran up onto the rock and jumped in, still fully clothed. "Hey! The water's great!"

"Figures." She said, shaking her head.

"What did you expect?" Sean asked. Then he did the same. Robert followed.

"I'm just gonna go to bed." Marian said. Then she lay down and fell asleep before her head even hit the ground.

* * *

Sean awoke first and stood and stretched. What a great night's sleep. The sun was fully up and a nice breeze was drifting through. Sean woke up Robert.

"Time to get going."

"Already?"

"Yep. Wake Marian and I'll wake Ben."

Robert nodded and yawned. Then he turned to the sleeping woman next to him on her side, facing him. He shook her.

"C'mon, babe. Time to get up." Then he turned and watched Sean try to wake Ben. Sean kept shaking him and shouting at him, but nothing worked. Finally, Sean dragged him to the lake and dunked his head in, then pulled him out. That got him up.

Robert laughed. Sean looked at him. "Go on and wake her up, man."

"I just did."

"Apparently not!"

Robert looked at her. She was still sleeping. Robert shook her again. "Hey, Marian. Let's go." But still nothing. "Earth to Marian! Wake up!" She didn't stir. Robert didn't get it. "Hey! Get up!" He shook her harder, but she stayed put. Robert became a bit worried. He took off his shirt and walked to the lake and took up some water in it and dumped it on her head. She woke up finally.

"What!"

"Morning, Ben!"

"What?"

"You were as hard to wake as he was!"

"Was I?"

"Yeah, now let's go."

Marian slowly got up. Her vision was blurry and she felt very weak. Nevertheless, she forced herself up and got ready for a long day's walk.

* * *

The forest was a bit muggy, but nothing too extreme…at least to the guys. To Marian, it seemed like they were in a tropical rain forest. But she didn't know why. She was extremely hot and tired, but they'd only been traveling for a couple of hours.

Noon came and the gang ate, then kept moving. Marian assumed that having food in her stomach would help her, but still no change. If anything, her condition was getting worse. But she kept quiet, thinking it would go away.

Sean hopped off a ledge, followed by Ben. Robert began to, but then turned and sighed.

"C'mon, Marian! You're lagging behind again!"

Sean and Ben looked up at him. "Again?"

"She's been slowing us down all day!" Sean said. "She okay?"

Robert didn't know. "Just wait a minute."

"Make it quick!"

Robert ran over to Marian and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Hey, babe, you okay? You've been really weak all day."

She looked down. "I don't know. I'm just so tired."

"Couldn't sleep last night?"

"Actually, I slept like a rock, but I'm still so tired. I don't know why."

Robert didn't know what to say. So he tilted her chin up so she was looking at him and said, "Let's just hope it passes soon." Then he kissed her. Then he put his arm around her and walked her to the ledge

"Hey, Marian, you okay?" Sean asked.

"Just tired. Can we rest?"

The guys looked at each other. "We just did a little while ago." Sean said.

"I know, but…just for a minute?"

"We can't. We have to get in as much distance as possible. Now come on." They continued walking.

Robert hopped off the ledge and looked back at her. "C'mon."

She looked down at the ground. It was only a couple of feet, but it seemed a lot further down. Then, the ground began warping and spinning. She felt very sick. Everything seemed to be growing dimmer by the second, and her breath was slipping away.

Robert turned back to check on her. She was still on the ledge. "Hey! Come on! It's only a couple of feet."

She looked up at him and Robert saw the ill expression on her face.

"Hey, are you okay?"

She breathed heavily and began to sway.

"Marian?"

Then she fell off the ledge and landed on her face.

"Marian!" Robert ran over to her and the others followed after hearing his outcry.

"What happened!" Ben asked.

"I don't know! She just passed out! Marian! Wake up!"

But she wouldn't awaken. Robert kept trying.

"Now what?" Ben asked.

"Hey, Rob, can you carry her?" Sean asked.

"Yeah, I think so."

"You'll have to do it then. We can't stop."

"Alright." Robert scooped her up and they continued.

The three of them were traveling at a faster rate, now. But none of them knew what to do about Marian. All they could do is hope she'd pull through. Robert at one point tried both a Body Purifier and a Mind Purifier, but neither prevailed. Even an Angel's Prayer was for naught.

Things would soon get worse. Less than an hour passed since Marian fainted when the men climbed a tall hill. Robert was extra careful not to drop his wife. He didn't show it too much, but he was worried. She was a wingly. Winglies didn't get sick so easily. What could be wrong? Robert kept it in for now, knowing that worrying wouldn't help at all. But that would quickly change. Sean was the first to reach the top of the hill and he froze. Ben and Robert were right behind him. They looked down the hill and stared in horror.

"This is just what we don't need." Sean said.

A two-thousand-man zombie army was about to ascend the other side of the hill at a good speed. Then, they all saw them and roared and pointed.

"Other way! Other way!" Sean commanded, and they began running back down the hill. Arrows flew over the hill and landed around them, but none struck. Ben looked back and within seconds, the zombies were at the top in hot pursuit. Ben was about to start a fire with his heat blade to block their path, but that might result in déjà vu. Robert would've done something, but his hands were full. So all they could do was run. But this army was supercharged. They were gaining, and fast. The Dragoons poured their energy into their legs, but they wouldn't last forever. They had to do something, and quickly. But if they stopped to fight, they would be overtaken instantly. Then, hope came.

Robert was in the lead, being the fastest, despite the extra weight in his arms and saw no way of escaping. Suddenly, the ground fell out from under him and he fell. Ben and Sean also fell. Robert turned and landed hard on his back. Sean and Ben fell around him. They slowly sat up and looked up. They'd fallen about twenty feet. But where were they? The zombies looked down at them and Sean looked around. There seemed to be a tunnel.

"There! Go!" They all got up and ran as arrows flew around them. They fled down the tunnel as the zombies came down on ropes. There were a few lights from various spots above, but it was still dim. They just ran along the path as well as they could see. But only a moment later, there was nothing but a dead end. They were trapped in a large dome-shaped area with many ledges and cliffs. The Dragoons turned to the zombies. They stopped a few feet from them and roared in delight. They had them now.

"Trapped like rats." Ben said.

"Kill what you can." Sean said. They got in front of Robert. It would only be those two stopping them. There seemed to be no way to live through it. Then a miracle came. There was a loud roar and everyone looked around for the source. Suddenly, the zombies stared and pointed behind the Dragoons. The looked behind them, then up, at the massive figure standing on the ledge above them.

It had thick, light green skin with thick, white hairs coming from the back of its head. It had four orange eyes and more hair coming from under its mouth and two strands coming from just under its nose, like a mustache. Behind the head were two spikes and a long neck with two rows of spikes going down it. It had four long legs with thick green claws at the ends. And it had a long, green tail. To top it off, there were two green wings.

"What is that?" Ben asked.

"Call me crazy," Sean said, "But I'm gonna say…that's a dragon."

The dragon roared. Then, more roaring came from all around. Another dragon poked out form another ledge. Then, another, and another. Soon, the cave was full of Dragons. They all roared in unison and the zombies turned and fled. The Dragoons just stared. Then, all the dragons turned and looked down at them.

Ben gulped. "Um…Sean? Any ideas?"

Sean just stared around the cave. "Uh…uh…" But the more he looked, the more something clicked in his mind. "Hey…don't these dragons all look freakishly similar?"

The others looked around. "Yeah." Robert said. "Almost…identical."

Sean looked around, then picked up a rock and threw it at the dragon that had first appeared. The rock sailed clean through the dragon. Sean smiled. "An illusion. And if that one is an illusion, they're probably all illusions. See?" He picked up a couple more rocks and began throwing them around they all flew right through the dragons. "Illusion, illusion, illusion," Then, he tossed his last rock and it bounced off the dragon's head and fell to the ground.

"Oh…" Sean said. "What do you know…a real one." All the illusions disappeared, but the real dragon remained, staring at them. Then, it leapt off its perch and landed in front of them. It was huge. The massive creature lowered its head until it was staring eye-to-eye, minus the dragon's two extra eyes, which still glowed a bright orange hue. Then it spoke in a majestic, somewhat elderly male voice.

"Don't even think about using the Dragon Buster, human."

Sean jumped. His hand had been slowly reaching for the dragon-slaying sword equipped at his belt. He must have seen his arm move.

"First you hurl stones at me." The dragon said. "Now, you would skewer me without a second thought after I saved your lives?"

Sean stared. "S-saved our lives?"

The dragon gave him a look. "What? Did you not see the two-thousand-man army run away?"

"Well…I did, but…I thought you were gonna kill us too."

"I was." The Dragon admitted. "But then, I noticed something." He got a bit closer and sniffed him, then the others. Then he stepped back in satisfaction. "Yes, you all have it."

"Have what?"

"The scent of a dragon, meaning you've been around Dragons before. Now, I don't know if that's a good or bad thing…but let's find out." All four of his eyes glowed as it stared at Sean for a time. Sean didn't know what was going on. Suddenly, the dragon's head shot back. "You are all Dragoon Warriors!"

Now they were shocked.

"How did you know that?" Sean demanded.

"I read your thoughts."

All of them suddenly felt very unsafe.

"You can…read minds?" Ben awed.

The dragon nodded. "I am Nagasil, Dragon of wisdom. I can play many tricks with the mind, such as the illusion you all saw a moment earlier. If need be, I can also crush it in the most excruciating way…so I advise that you keep the Dragon Buster where it is, Sean."

Sean just stared. "That's how you knew I was going to use it."

"Indeed…now what brings Dragoons to this region of the world?" His eyes narrowed. "Surely you are not looking for another power source." His back eyes flashed threateningly.

"No, no!" Sean said quickly. "We came here by accident, while we were running from the zombie army."

"And what were you doing in the woods? There are no human cities for many miles."

Ben's eyes narrowed. "You're the mind reader. Why don't you figure it out yourself?"

The dragon gave him a look. "It would be rude to invade."

"Then…why did you do so earlier?"

"Scare tactic." The dragon said simply. "But…if you insist…" All four of Nagasil's eyes shimmered. Within a moment, he had the answers he desired. "You've had quite a journey it seems."

"Tell me about it." Ben muttered.

"And the girl?" Nagasil looked at Marian.

Robert looked down at her. "She collapsed in the forest. I don't know why. She'd been sick all morning, but…I just don't get it!"

Nagasil hovered over her and his two main eyes glowed. Then, the glowing stopped and he nodded, reassured. "Dragon's poison. It lingers in the forest."

"Then why didn't we catch it?" Sean asked.

"Being Dragoons must have made you immune."

"But she's a wingly." Robert protested. "Winglies don't get sick that much that fast."

Nagasil suddenly looked troubled. "If she is truly a wingly, then she is in even greater danger than you would have been."

"What! How?"

"During the Dragon Campaign, winglies were slaughtering dragons left and right, even at birth. Some of us hid in this forest, covering it in a thick layer of dragon's poison, so that no intruders would live. It was specially designed to kill winglies."

Robert was horrified. "She-She's not like those winglies! Can't you help her?"

"No, but I think I know someone who can. Come." He turned to a wall and all of his eyes glowed orange again. The entire atmosphere warped in a green and orange color spray. Lights shot past them at great speed and then, there was a brilliant white light.

Once their eyes adjusted again, the Dragoons stared in awe. An entire new world surrounded them. They were on the ledge of a mountain, overlooking a large, grassy plain.

"We created this world," Nagasil said. "The remaining Dragons and myself."

"How many of you are there?" Ben asked.

"Only five, unfortunately." Then he spread his wings and hopped off the ledge and hovered at their level. "Hop on." They did. The section between the two rows of spikes was a perfect spot to sit. He quickly brought them to the base of the mountain. Then, he looked up and his two back eyes glowed brightly, only for a second. Then, a shimmering white beam shot towards them and stopped in front of them and took form.

It was another dragon. This one was smaller and all white. This dragon was long and thin, and seemed very flexible. It also had white hairs coming from the back of its head, but Nagasil's hairs were ruffled with grey patches. This dragon's hair was pure white, almost shimmering, and smooth and fine. It had two normal, reptilian eyes and two small, dull horns coming from the back of its head. The strangest things were its wings. They were just beams of light, which diminished once it got there. Its presence was stimulating, as if an invisible force was emitting from this creature. It was almost angelic.

"I came as soon as I could." A female voice said. "What is the problem?" Then her gaze went to the humans. "Humans!" Her eyes glowed and it opened its mouth and a beam began forming.

"No! Wait!" Nagasil said. "They are not harmful."

The beam ceased and her eyes returned to normal. "What do you mean?"

"They are what I called you about."

Marian let out a sickening cough and Robert laid her on the grass.

"It's Smurgh's poison. We need you to heal it."

"But…humans…and isn't she a…a wingly!"

"Trust me, Ira. They won't do anything harmful. And if they do, I'm sure Norgoth will have some fun with them."

Ira looked down at them and sighed. "Alright. It held a claw over her, which seemed to flex more like a hand. A pale, white light shone down onto her.

"That is Ira, The Life Dragon." Nagasil explained. "She is the last female of our race."

"And your last means of reproducing too, huh?" Ben said.

Ira looked at Nagasil, then back down with a sort of sad face.

"Unfortunately not." Nagasil said with a glum tone. Then he said in a quieter voice, "She is barren."

"Oh." Ben said. "Well, that bites! I mean, your last female, and she can't reproduce! A-AH!" Ben clutched his head as an unseen, searing pain ripped through his brain.

"Mind your tongue, human!" Nagasil snapped. He looked up at Ira. "Ignore him. You are still a well-respected member of this community."

She again focused on Marian as Sean smacked Ben upside the head. Suddenly, Marian writhed and her back arched as she clawed the ground, gasping for air. Ira's eyes shot open.

"It's getting worse at a rapid rate. I don't know if I can heal it."

"Hurry!" Nagasil said. "Give it all you've got!"

Ira did so, shining a bright, healing light, but Marian showed now sign of improving. If anything, her condition was getting worse.

"Just as Smurgh designed it." Ira muttered. "Almost completely incurable!"

"Just keep it up." Nagasil said.

The Dragoons waited out the intensity.

Suddenly, Marian gave a sharp gasp as her back arched upward, then her body slumped back down, a lifeless heap.

Robert stared in horror.

* * *

Melbu smiled. "Yeah. I created a storm and knocked out the Thunder Dragoon with a lightning bolt. While he was down, I sent one of the Mega-Zombies up the mountain. The Golden Dragoon bravely faced the monster and bravely fell off the cliff. The Thunder Dragoon woke up, but their morale is shattered. They'll fall easily."

Zackwell laughed. "Death is lovely. Allow me to intervene. I have a sickly ploy in mind. In the meantime…" He walked outside and stood on a balcony. "Disappearing Dragoons seem to be a common thing. My own troupe has vanished from all sight. However, it was already too late for one of them." He looked over the horizon and gave his signature demonic grin at the little blue light coming towards him. "And there's proof right there."

Melbu watched the soul float closer and closer. "Whose is it?"

"Unfortunately, it is only the soul of the Wind Dragoon's wingly wife. Oh well. Her husband will surely topple from the lack of morale and once he does, it will crush the other Dragoons. In any case, here it comes."

The soul moved straight to the castle under Zackwell's guidance. The demon lord extended his hand, anxiously awaiting the prize.

Suddenly, the soul was surrounded by a white lining and stopped where it was. Zackwell and Melbu stared in confusion.

"What the!" Melbu began, but Zackwell didn't wait. He jumped off the balcony, swiping at the soul with his scythe. But before he could shred it, the soul suddenly rocketed back the way it had come.

Zackwell could only watch as the soul zipped away from Mayfil at blinding speed. He seethed, "What trickery is this?"

* * *

Marian opened her eyes in a daze. She coughed for a bit, then took in a great gasp of air as she tried to adjust to her surroundings. Before she could, Marian found herself enveloped in Robert's arms. To her surprise, he was weeping on her shoulder. She looked over at Ben and Sean, who were staring in awe.

"What…what's going on?" Marian asked. Ben answered.

"You…died."

Marian was perplexed. "I…I _what?_"

"The poison in the woods affected you greatly because you are a wingly."

Marian looked up at Nagasil as he spoke and gasped in shock. "Is….is that a-?"

"Yes." Sean said. "It's a dragon."

"Nagasil." He introduced himself. "The dragon of wisdom. One of only five dragons still alive."

"There's more?" Marian was stunned.

"Turn around."

She did so and beheld the smaller, but radiant white dragon.

"Ira." Nagasil said. "Dragon of life. She restored you when the poison took your life."

"I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it." Sean said, running his hands through his hair. "It's incredible! Of course…it's bound to have some sort of catch or limitation, right?"

Ira nodded. "Correct. I can only revive a person if their soul has not already left this plane. Thus, they can only be restored within a minute of dying, and that's stretching it."

"Even so," Ben said. "It was pretty freakin' sweet."

* * *

After Marian was briefed on what had happened, Nagasil took them all on his back to give the Dragoons a tour.

"We five dragons are the last survivors." Nagasil reiterated. "During the Dragon Campaign, we created this small world with our combined powers to keep ourselves safe. We have stayed here ever since…nearly twelve millennia."

"Dragons live long lives." Ben marveled.

"Indeed. We each have our own spot we like to call our own. I dwell along the tops of these mountains, guarding the entrance to our world. It was from there that I caught whiff of the scent of a dragon and came to investigate."

They flew lower, along the base of the mountains. Ira remained close by.

"Along here, another dragon resides," Nagasil explained. "His name is Clayton. He is a steel dragon."

"Steel?" Marian repeated.

"Yes, his entire body is composed of a nearly indestructible metal…at least it is such for any natural tool. Magic, however, can easily crack it. Look! There he is."

Clayton was huge, even for a dragon. His bulky build shimmered in the sunlight as he moved slowly. Clayton's wings were massive and lined with odd holes along the bone.

"Clayton keeps to himself a lot." Nagasil said. "He just rumbles around the mountain all day. He never talks."

Clayton smashed on rock with his giant tail, then the Dragoons learned the purpose of the holes along his wings. A missile fired out of the top hole of each wing and blasted another rock into pieces.

"That's awful useful." Marian mused.

Nagasil's back eyes shimmered a bit as he looked down at the steel dragon. In a second, it looked back up at him. A moment later, it nodded.

"What?" Sean asked.

"I told him about you four." Nagasil said. "I told him you are not to be harmed…even you, my dear wingly."

Marian groaned. "Such are the joys of my lineage."

They continued to fly until they reached a wooded area filled with large trees, all in strange shapes and positions.

"That is Smurgh's territory," said Nagasil. "He is a very deadly dragon, but not in the way you might immediately think. We have simply called him the miasma dragon."

"What's miasma?" Ben asked.

"A noxious vapor." Sean explained. "Really nasty stuff. It'll make you sick real fast."

"Smurgh's toxins will do much more than make you sick." Nagasil said. " He can create the deadliest of poisons and unleash them in virtually any form he wishes. He is the one responsible for the deadly toxin lurking in the forest. It was designed to ward off intruders and keep our home safe."

Looking through the forest, the Dragoons could see Smurgh. He looked like a giant insect, really. He was a mixture of gray and black. He didn't walk, but floated around on his two wings. He had four orange eyes, but no mouth. And the biggest difference was that he only had two dragon arms. But he had two long, black sickles emerging from in front of his arms. And it had black blades traveling down its back and tail. Finally, black smoke swirled around it constantly.

Nagasil gave Smurgh the same mental signal he had given Clayton. Smurgh seemed a little more alerted, but did not bother them, as Nagasil requested.

They kept flying over the vast plains. Ira finally asked, "So what dragons have left you people their spirits?"

"Jade for Robert," Sean said, "Red-Eye for Ben, and Divine for me."

Ira mused. "Yes…we all felt the Divine Dragon fall. He was…quite an angry sort."

"He's developed." Sean informed. "He's much kinder towards humans nowadays…he's actually a good deal responsible for raising me the way I am today."

"Ah." Ira said. "You must be quite the warrior then." Sean grinned. "In any case, these grass lands are where I reside. It is peaceful and calm here, for the most part. I enjoy it so."

Suddenly, Nagasil came to a halt.

"What's up?" Sean asked.

"That." Nagasil said. They were floating near, but not too near a great chasm in the plains. The Dragoons all had a sudden twisting feeling in their stomach.

"There's something in there." Marian said.

"Yes." Nagasil said grimly. "It is the final dragon…Norgoth. If there were one dragon I would advise you to avoid, it would be him. You see…he is the dragon of death."

"Death?" the Dragoons repeated.

"Yes. With a wisp of simple magic, Norgoth can cause you to literally drop dead where you stand."

"We'll be sure to avoid him then." Robert said quickly.

"You should, but not only for what he can do. You see…being a dragon of such darkness…Norgoth is a very loathing creature, very hateful towards many. He is especially hateful towards both humans and winglies for their actions in the past. His temper is short and his claws are fast. He will destroy you all without a second thought, so I am not going to tell him of your presence for now."

"How do you put up with him?" Sean wanted to know.

"While he will quickly destroy most any outsider, Norgoth has a great respect for his fellow dragons…though he may not always show it. He fought at our side many times before we came to this secluded area and we all know that any dark action he does against other races he does out of a need to protect his own kind.

"Norgoth usually keeps to himself, meandering through his great chasm, but if he should decide to stretch his wings, I suggest that you four hide quickly. Keep away from him and you may survive."

"How pleasant." Sean muttered as they turned and flew away.

* * *

The Dragoons stayed near the mountain. The sun was setting, and Nagasil was going to summon all the dragons together to decide what to do about them. Nagasil stood in the middle of the plains and all of his eyes glowed. There was a rumble and Clayton came from his spot in the mountains. He moved slowly, but surely. Smurgh hovered in the sky, his poisons swarming around him. Ira warped to the meeting spot. When all four of them had assembled, they looked around for the fifth dragon.

Then a mighty roar came from a distance and everyone looked up. A mighty black dragon with large black wings, red eyes, and enormous black blades going down his back came down. The Dragon had two long, sharp horns coming from the back of his head, and two more curved upward from his forehead, like devil horns.

"Make it quick." Was all he said.

The Dragons began to speak amongst themselves.

"So how you feeling?" Robert asked his wife.

She shrugged. "Uncertain. Who knows what will happen here?"

"I mean…physically."

She looked at him. "I really freak you out today, didn't I?"

Robert nodded.

"Funny. You're usually so calm."

"Seeing your wife dead on the ground isn't something you stay calm to."

"Understood."

"It's also that…so many things went through my head when I saw you dead. Like…lately, I've just been treating you like one of the gang…instead of my wife."

"It's okay, Rob."

"No, it's not. I haven't been very…affectionate of whatever it is. And…well, sorry, I guess."

She leaned in and gave him a very long kiss. Then she parted. "Apology accepted." And Rob kissed her back. Then, he looked behind him and Sean and Ben quickly turned away.

"Let's take a walk, shall we?" Robert asked her.

"Sounds good."

The two of them went off.

"Once again, I am afflicted with jealousy." Ben said.

Sean nodded. "I miss Melissa more than ever. I hope she's alright."

"Same with Christie." Then another thought ran through his head. "I wonder how Mike, Brad, and Jenn are doing."

"Who can tell? Mike and Brad have probably scared Jenn away by now." He chuckled. "But mountain climbing is tough. Hope they're alright."

They were quiet for a bit more, then Ben sighed. "I can't sit here. I'm goin' for a walk. Comin'?"

"Nah, I'll stay here."

"Okay. See ya later." The he left. Sean watched the Dragons for a bit, wondering what they were saying. Then, he moved closer to the circle and could hear their voices.

"So what do we do about them?" Ira asked.

"Eliminate them." Norgoth answered. "They know where we are!"

"But cannot get in without me." Nagasil said.

"They may find away."

"Norgoth is right." Smurgh said. "If they were able to survive my poison, who knows what else they can do?"

"Why did you bring them in here anyway?" Norgoth sneered.

"One of them was hurt. Ira tended to her."

"Figures." He snorted.

"I believe Nagasil." She said, "That they are of no threat."

Norgoth shook his head. "You were always soft when it came to anything smaller or weaker than yourself…which isn't much."

"And you've always had a thick head when it came to helping anyone but yourself!"

"Enough!" Nagasil said. "Norgoth, why are you so threatened by these humans?"

"Humans are a pathetic race. They have no strength, so they rely on others for help. They did so with dragons of the past, and they're starting up again."

"Then why are humans the dominant species of the planet?" Nagasil asked with a smirk.

"Because creatures like you prevent creatures like me from changing it. And I don't care what this council will say. I will not let the humans pass…much less a wingly! Give me one good reason why I should."

There was a moment of silence, then a voice shouted, "How about I give you two?" They looked and saw Sean step into the circle of giants.

Norgoth chuckled. "Alright. This should be good. Try and convince me."

"Norgoth, right?" Sean asked. "You say I'm pathetic. Just look at yourself." Norgoth's head shot back in shock. "This is a war! Zackwell, King of Darkness, has raised up a mighty kingdom. He's launching his forces everywhere. You think we're dangerous, try out Zackwell! He could destroy all of you in an instant. All races must ban together for this! It's the only way we can survive! Eight dragons have already helped us out more times than we can count! But now, Zackwell has taken their spirits away from us. We're on a journey to the Black Kingdom of Mayfil to get them back! It's the least we can do to repay them for helping us so much." Then Sean though about it and chuckled. "I find that kind of funny. They're all dead, yet they're fighting on still. You're all alive. Why don't you do something? Why do you just sit here and hide? Zackwell will find you all! Then he'll wipe you out. It's inevitable…unless you can stop him beforehand. Why hide and wait for death when you can fight on for life?"

The Dragons were silent. Then Sean spoke again. "Now here's my second reason." He pulled out his wallet and took out a picture. "You see this kid in this picture? His name is Eric. He's my son. Zackwell kidnapped him along with our Dragoon Spirits. If I don't do exactly what Zackwell says, he's gonna die. I have to get to Mayfil. And I'll take on anyone who tries to stop me! Even an army of dragons, if I must."

Norgoth snorted. "Why should I care? Our species will be gone soon enough anyway." And with that, he gave Ira a cold, hard glare. Then he looked back at Sean. "Why fight what you cannot kill? I know of this Zackwell creature. He is immortal. You cannot stop him. He will win. And how do we know that you will not give us away to him?" That seemed to stir something among the dragons.

"True." Sean said, "Your race will go out. But why sit here and make it look pathetic? Humans are the dominant species of this planet because we don't give up! We will fight until the last of us is dead. Even when all hope is lost. Will you do the same?"

"It does not matter. I do not intend to let you pass through."

Sean's eyes narrowed. "Then I'll have to go through you. And anyone else. If passing through here means wiping out the last of the dragons, then so help me, I'll do it!"

Norgoth's eyes burned. "I knew it!" His mouth opened and a skull appeared in front of it. He shouted, "Die, human!" A ray came out and hit the skull and a black beam shot from the mouth.

Sean could only think of one solution. He whipped the Dragon Buster from his belt and struck it against the attack. The beam collided with the tip of the sword and could not go against it. Then, the flames of the Dragon Buster grew longer, following the trail of the beam until there was a great explosion in Norgoth's face. He flew back and landed hard. The Dragons stared in shock.

"THE DRAGON BUSTER!" They exclaimed. Clayton gave an angry roar and lifted up his wings.

"Calm yourself, Clayton!" Nagasil said quickly. Norgoth wasn't so easy to sway.

"Filthy human!" He seethed. "Always seeking power, even if it means destroying others." His eyes burned as dark power surged about his form. "Well I won't allow it to happen here!" He was getting ready to launch another attack, but suddenly, he cringed and writhed in pain, roaring furiously. "Nagasil! Why do you protect them!"

Nagasil stopped his mental attack. "They mean us no harm."

"Then how do you explain the Dragon Buster!" Norgoth demanded. All awaited an answer.

"For ultimate defense only." Nagasil explained.

They all looked at him.

"You knew he had it!" Smurgh said in shock.

"I saw it in his mind. He and his companions do not mean to exploit us in any way. They are telling the truth one-hundred percent. They are of no threat at all. They are truly trying to help others of our race, who have willingly helped them several times. That is enough proof for me. So, what do you all think?"

There was a long silence. Ira spoke first. "I will agree with Nagasil."

Smurgh spoke next. "I do not know why he didn't use the Dragon Buster on us all earlier, other than he had no intention of using it at all. Besides, I trust Nagasil. I will let them pass."

Clayton grunted and nodded. Then, they all looked at Norgoth.

Norgoth stared at Sean, then at the Wisdom Dragon. "I do not think kindly of this human…but…I may let him pass on one condition. You must erase from their minds the location of this place."

Nagasil nodded. "I give you my word."

Norgoth shook his head. "And I never want to see this creature again." He said, referring to Sean. "You'd best stay close to Nagasil. Should I catch you on your own…" He hissed, baring his razor sharp teeth. Then he turned away.

Sean turned to the other Dragons. "I kinda like him."

* * *

Sean spread the word to the group, and they were relieved.

"I still can't believe you pulled the Dragon Buster on them." Ben said.

"I didn't have a choice!" Sean snapped. "Anyway, they all seem to trust Nagasil enough to let us live, but tomorrow, Nagasil will erase this location from our minds. That's the only thing that's stopping the Death Dragon from killing us right now."

The sun was nearly gone now. The Dragoons would stay the night and leave the next morning. But they each had someone to see before the night was over.

Robert went to see Nagasil, who was making rounds before the night. He landed near Robert and told him, "The day is almost spent. You should prepare to sleep. You have a long journey ahead of you tomorrow."

"I know. I just wanted to tell you…thanks, I guess. You just took us right so quickly. And you brought us to Ira, who saved my wife. Without you, we probably wouldn't be here."

The dragon grinned. "It is my pleasure."

"So what are you going to do?"

"Pardon?"

"I mean, about this war. What will you all do?"

Nagasil shook his head. "I do not know. Sean's speech was quite moving, but I'm not sure what to do. As the leader of this community, I have to choose the most reasonable path. When it comes to a situation like this, even I, the Wisdom Dragon, am stranded at a fork in the road. I don't know which way to turn. Where will it lead? Will I be able to turn back? Probably not, but such answers I cannot find. I cannot decide this at night, though."

"Sure you can. Anyone can decide anything at anytime. Saying you're too tired to think is just an excuse to change the subject. I know from experience."

"I meant I have to keep my mind on guarding the community. I am the gatekeeper, remember?"

"Yeah, but you can always retire."

"What do you mean?"

"Who says you have to stand at the top of some mountain forever? Who says you can't just leap off it and fly into attack with your army?"

The Dragon smirked. "You are a ponderous race. And that's something to be proud of, seeing as it comes from a mind reader.

Robert shrugged. "No one will every truly figure out the human race, Nagasil. So you may as well stop trying."

Nagasil chuckled. "You're probably right. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to make one more pass."

"One more thing."

"What's that?"

"Delaying the inevitable is futile."

"We still do not know what the inevitable is, though." Then he was off.

* * *

Marian crept along the mountainside. She crawled up several rocks and saw the clearing, and in the middle lay the Metal Dragon. It was clearing off a few more fallen rocks, making a spot to turn in for the night. Marian crawled over the rocks and began her decent. Then, she slipped on a loose stone and fell down into the clearing. Marian rubbed her head and looked up, straight into the eyes of Clayton.

"Uh…hi…I'm Marian. Um…yeah…I'm the wingly, but I don't mean any harm!"

Clayton just stared at her. His eyes looked empty inside, like cutouts in the metal and nothing more. It was hard to make eye contact when she couldn't quite see the eyes.

"So," Marian said, trying to spark conversation. "Steel Dragon, huh? Kinda cool. I mean, not too strong in magic, probably, but hey, who needs it?"

Clayton seemed to lose interest.

"You're probably wondering why I'm here. Heck, I'm sort of wondering myself. Well, uh, just trying to say hi and stuff…I guess."

Clayton turned away.

"I guess you're just a little intriguing. I mean, all that strength in you and stuff. And hey, those missile launchers are awesome!"

Clayton turned his head to her again.

"It kind a makes me jealous, really. I mean, I'm not a Dragoon, so I'm not as strong. I always wanted to be stronger than I was. I kinda considered myself weak a lot. In fact…since I joined my husband and the other Dragoons…I've been kinda worried about disappointing them, Robert especially, seeing as I can't help much. I just…wish I had the strength to do more."

Clayton fully turned his head to her, metal cranking and whining as he went. He was now only a few feet from her and Marian could see her reflection in his muzzle. Clayton spoke three words, very slowly, in a deep, metallic voice.

"Strength lies inside."

Marian thought about it. "I don't know. I mean, by myself, I can't do too much. I mean, I _am_ a wingly, but…not a very powerful one. My magical skill has never been anything to be very proud of. But…Dragoons can make all the difference. They decide the world's fate." Marian was silent for a moment. "The question arose about what Dragoon I would be if I had a choice. I said something strong, very strong, to make up for my lack of power. That way I could make a difference too. I guess…the Dragoon I'd want…would be the Steel Dragoon. Because then I'd be strong."

Clayton spoke again. "Clayton does not seek a spirit-bearer. But…if Clayton were to perish…spirit bearer must be able to use own strength before using mine."

Marian was silenced for a moment. "But how do I do that?"

"Only you can know. But strength, even mine, will not help you find it. Find your own strength. Then you will be worthy of the strength of others."

Then, Clayton turned away and settled down for sleep.

Marian turned and left, thinking about what Clayton had said. She'd have to find her own strength before she'd be worthy of a Dragoon Spirit. That would be quite a chore, she thought.

* * *

The Divine Dragon had instilled fearlessness into Sean's heart from an early age. That is why he walked boldly to the great chasm, specifically looking for Norgoth.

Sean reached the edge and looked down below. It was hard to see down in the fading light, but from what he could see, Norgoth was nowhere around.

At the sound of a snarl, Sean spun around to meet two glowing red eyes of an angry beast.

"Didn't I warn you about wandering off on your own?"

Sean pulled out the Dragon Buster and activated it in a threatening pose.

"I see." The dragon wavered left and right, looking for the best angle of attack. "So you've come to increase your collection of dragon souls, have you? Well, this is one dragon that won't fall so easily, not even to the dragon buster."

"I didn't come here to kill you." Sean said, lowering the sword. "But I will if I must."

"Then why are you here?" Norgoth asked with impatience.

"To understand you."

"Oh?"

"Yes. Why do you hate humans so much? Because we're weaker than you?"

"In a roundabout way, yes." Norgoth spat in anger. "You humans…once you get a taste of power, you salivate for more. Dragons are powerful and Dragoons much in the like. Your kind would abuse my kind just to become more powerful."

"You choose your spirit bearer." Sean pointed out.

"But I'm not ready to die. Your species would kill all creatures if it mean improving their own. You are greedy, selfish, loathsome creatures and the winglies are no different!"

Sean tread carefully. "You need to get out more. Not all humans are cruel…just as not all dragons are fierce, vile fire-breathing mindless beasts that need to be put out of our misery."

Norgoth seethed at that, but minded Sean's fiery blade.

"Nobody likes stereotypes." Sean said.

"What do I care about what you like?" Norgoth snapped. "You're a human, what makes you think I care about you at all!"

"Nothing at all." Sean assured him. "But I care about you…you and your kind."

Norgoth didn't know how to take that, so it made him angrier. Sean continued.

"One of my closest companions is a dragon. He and several others have had their spirits stolen from us; I've already told you this. We're trying to help them as they have helped us. With that in mind, perhaps you could be a little less surly towards us. We're only trying to help."

Norgoth seethed. "Get out of my sight…NOW!" He roared with that last word.

Sean felt it best to walk away at last. Perhaps he'd gotten nowhere with his words, but at least they were off his chest.

* * *

Ben traveled along the plains. Ira said she dwelt here, but where? This place was so big. The stars were coming out, along with the moon. He saw something shimmer in the moonlight. Ben was awed. It was like the stars had come down to sparkle on the earth, a glittering creature laying down in the grass. It had to be her.

Ben moved in closer and couldn't help but be mesmerized by the presence of this dragon. It was incredible. As he moved closer, Ira heard him moving and turned towards him.

"Why do you come here, human? You should rest."

"I know. I just…wanted to say sorry, I guess."

"For what?"

"What I said earlier about being the last female, but not being able to reproduce and all."

"It's quite alright." She turned her head away. "Though, it is ironic."

"You mean the fact that you can bring the dead back to life, but you can't cure your…uh…condition?"

"Yes. It baffles me entirely. I've tried and tried, but nothing." She sighed and shook her head. "If the White-Silver Dragon were here…"

Ben's brows perked. "What?"

"She could cure me. She has her ways. And if not, then our combined forces would surely work." She looked down. "But she has been gone for some time."

"But she still packs a punch, apparently." Ben said. "Maybe she can still help."

Ira looked at him. "How can you know this?"

"Well, I sort of know the White-Silver Dragon."

"You do? How?"

"You see, my wife is the White-Silver Dragoon, so she has direct access."

"You are serious?"

"Yeah."

"But…why is she not with you?"

"Zackwell made us all split up. She's with Sean's wife and another woman named Brittany. They're all Dragoons, but all of us are trying to get our Dragoon Spirits back. I hope she's alright."

"So…once you all get your Dragoon Spirits back, your wife can get the White-Silver Dragon to help me?"

"Yeah, I'll make sure of it!"

"You promise?"

"I promise. But…you'll have to find us. Nagasil says he's gonna erase the location of this place from our minds."

"Trust me, I will." She looked up at the full moon, deep in thought. "Your wife must be quite a woman to be able to possess such powers."

Ben nodded and sat down. "Yeah, she is. Lately, I've seen her do some pretty incredible stuff. She's been fighting Zackwell to the full extent of herself. She can even free people from his grip, if she really tries, and that's saying a lot. And…she's just great."

"You miss her, do you not?"

Ben nodded, "Yep." He laid down on the grass, looking up at the star-filled sky. "I remember the first time I really felt that I loved her. It was a while back, when we were just kids…it only grew from there, and here we are…separated. But we will get back together. That I'm sure of. And I'll get Christie to get the White-Silver Dragon to help you, like I promised."

"And I would like to meet this amazing Christie woman of yours. She sounds enchanting."

Ben thought about that word, enchanting. "Never heard it put that way before, but it sounds right." Ben got back on his feet. "Man, I've gotta get to bed. Nice talking with you."

"Likewise. And remember your promise."

"No prob. Later." Then he left, all the more determined to see his wife again.

* * *

The next morning, the Dragoons prepared to leave. All the Dragons, even Norgoth, had gathered for one last goodbye.

"I've prepared something for you." Nagasil said. "In case you run into those zombies again. He extended his claw, revealing four attack items. "One for each of you. I call them 'Mind Warps'. If you use them, make sure your friends are not nearby. It will make a wide-range wave that will shred the minds of anything around. So once you've used them, get away."

Ira stepped up. "And I have something. She gave them each a vial of sparkling water. "I call it Life Water. Use it only when absolutely necessary. A small sip will purify both mind and spirit. Look. If you hold it up to the sun, you can see a dragon in the water. They held theirs up. The sparkles seemed to form together making a small outline of a dragon.

Smurgh also gave them each an attack item. "Smoke Screens. But they do more than just create a cloud to help you escape. Once your foes are caught in this smog, they'll suffer the same effects that you did, only at a much faster pace. Don't worry, though. You're all immune to it now."

"Thank you all." Sean said. "For everything."

"Now, it is time for me to take you away." Nagasil said. He lowered his head and allowed them to walk onto his back, between the rows of spikes. Then, Nagasil took off.

"You are going to the Black Kingdom, are you not?" Nagasil asked.

"Yeah." Sean answered.

"Then I will take you a ways from this area. It will make up for the time you've lost. Maybe even a little more. When you arrive, you'll be facing the direction to travel. Now, hang on tight."

All four of Nagasil's eyes glowed and green and orange flashes dazzled around them.

"Good luck, Dragon Knights! And I hope that we shall meet again!"

There was one more bright, white flash and then, the Dragoons found themselves back in the forest. They all blinked and looked around.

"He's gone." Robert said.

"How'd he take us here so fast?" Marian asked.

"We don't know how fast he took us here at all." Sean pointed out. "He erased the location from our memories." They all struggled, but couldn't remember how they'd gotten to the Dragon sanctuary for the life of them.

"So…" Ben said. "Where are we?"

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Kind of a long chapter this time...kinda got away from me. Ah, well. Hope y'all liked this chapter and the new characters. The last chapter for this group comes up soon, though I'm not sure HOW soon (sorry). Tell me what you guys thought. Thanks a ton!


	20. Inevitable

OPENING NOTE:We don't say this enough, so Iwe'll say it now. Thanks to all those who review our stories. We really appreciate the support you guys give us.

Chapter Twenty: Inevitable

Sean, Ben, Robert, and Marian wished they could be back in the Dragon Sanctuary again. This forest was driving them crazy. They traveled for two days with nothing to show for it. Every time Sean looked at the map, they didn't seem any closer. Of course, there wasn't much to look for to show them that. A worried thought grew in their minds. Were they lost?

"We're lost." Ben said.

"We're not lost." Sean said.

"We're going in circles!"

"Nagasil told us to just go in the direction he pointed us, and we have!"

"Maybe we strayed and didn't know it!"

"Doubtful."

"Nevertheless," Robert said, "I am getting sick of this place. What happens when we get out of here?"

"We go to the rendezvous point and meet up with everyone else."

"Good."

Sean returned to the map. They began going uphill. They'd grown to hate uphill slopes. Who knew what was on the other side? They ascended with caution. But nothing was at the top that would harm them. But something else was. There was a large grassy clearing at the top. And in the middle was what looked like an old ruin. It was a large platform held up by tall, ten-foot columns. Stairs led atop, and on one side of the top was a statue of a warrior holding a sword up high. Where this had come in, they didn't know.

"We'll rest here." Sean said. Pretty much everything was strapped to them, so they had nothing to put down. They all took drinks from their canteens.

"Man, I cannot wait until we get out of this place and see the others again." Ben said. "I wonder how they're doin'."

"Who can tell?" Marian asked.

"They will." Rob said. "When we meet them again."

"So confident?" Marian asked.

" 'Course! They're Dragoons, they'll make it!"

"Let's hope so."

"What do you guys think happened to that zombie army?" Ben asked out of nowhere.

Sean shrugged. "Who knows. But my mind says they're still here. We have to be careful."

"You think we'll be able to take 'em?"

Sean started to answer, but then he froze.

"Sean?"

"Shh!" They all stayed stuck in place. They began hearing what Sean had heard. It sounded like a big movement. Like something rummaging through the forest.

"I think we're about to find out, Ben!" He stood and drew his weapon, as did the others.

Then they came.

They stormed through the trees and stepped into the clearing, waving swords and roaring.

Robert instantly ran forward, spinning his spear. When he was close enough, he swung once more and a green wave blasted several zombies back.

"Ten down!" He said.

"And 1,990 to go!" Sean added. Then they went at it.

The Dragoons had gone up against strong numbers before, but not with this few people with them. They could only hope for the best.

Sean charged and swung down, knocking away his opponent's sword and sliced his head off, then he sliced through the neck of the next. Sean took a step back and kicked the third into the others to stop the oncoming hoard a bit, then ducked under a blade and stabbed him and tore his sword out his side and hit another. Sean then pulled out a Gushing Magma and tossed it. Many were burned, but others kept coming. Sean fled to find a better spot to try again.

Ben's Heat Blade gave him a bit of an advantage. He gave a mighty slice through one, erupting his chest in fire, then he kicked him into another, who also caught aflame. Ben caught a blade with his and spun around to slice off the arm, then the head just in time to wipe out another. Ben noticed he was being pushed back. He wanted to use on of his new items, but everyone was still too close, so he could only use a sword. Just then, he avoided the flames of Sean's Gushing Magma. Sean hadn't noticed that, apparently. Ben swung his sword through the air once to gather energy, then gave a mighty swing. A small flaming wave burned through three. Ben quickly blocked the next oncoming blade.

Robert's Twister Glaive also gave him an advantage. He twirled it around, then fired a wind blast, killing a few more zombies. Then he swung it horizontally through a head, and then he stabbed one to the side. Two more zombies were closer now. Rob got a plan to wipe them out and give him more distance. He planted the end of his spear in the ground and leapt off, kicking off both of them and flipped back, then he used the wind blast again.

Marian didn't have an elemental weapon, so she'd have to use what she had. She sliced down through a zombie, then tore through another horizontally. She planted her spear in the ground and used it as a support to kick two away, then flipped back and cut through four more. An even wave came at her, so she spun around just in time with her spear out, so she cut through them all at once. She was getting good. She planted the spear in the ground again and flipped over it and landed on a zombie, then spun, cutting three more.

The gang began to wonder. How big was two thousand? They never seemed to stop coming. Plus, every zombie that came at them was new and fresh, with high energy. But the Dragoons would wear out. Thankfully, one of the biggest things Sean had taught them was endurance. But how long would this last?

Things would get worse before they got better. Sean blocked a blade and sent it back with an upward swipe. Then, he gave a quick spin, slicing through the zombies that were right in front of him. Finally, one of the zombies came forward and punched him in the jaw. Sean recoiled and ricocheted, cutting through him, then another. But one came and sliced his chest, then punched him down. Sean landed on his back and looked up at the zombie about to kill him. Just then, Robert came out of nowhere and landed on him, then blasted back the rest.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, thanks." Rob helped Sean up, who looked at his slice.

"Gonna feel that tomorrow." Rob said.

"Feelin' it right now. Come on!" They rushed again.

Ben was having his own troubles. His blade could do some damage, buy he'd have to have time to power it up to do a lot of damage, which he didn't have. He sent another flaming wave, fearing it would be his last. Two zombies ran at him. Ben cut through the one with the sword, but took the hit from the one using his fists to the head. Ben made a wild swing, which the zombie ducked under and then it punched him in the stomach. Ben choked and reeled over, then cut off his legs, then his head. He barely had time to block to blades and counter, but then another fist-fighter got his face. Ben stumbled and found himself pressed against the stone foundation. The zombie ran to swing a punch, but Marian stepped in the way with her arms crossed over herself and took the hit on her shield. Ben then grabbed hold of her and flipped her over his head and onto the foundation. Then he kicked off that one zombie and got atop it himself. They all roared at them angrily.

"You okay?" They asked in unison, then said, "Yeah."

Both of them pulled an item out. Ben had a Gushing Magma and Marian had a Raging Twister. Ben tossed his right in front of him to take the zombies out right there, while Marian tossed hers to take out the ones coming. Then they high-fived.

Robert and Sean weren't having such a good time. They found themselves being backed into a corner, especially since they were the only ones on the ground floor now. But they were grateful that Ben and Marian were taking out masses with their items. That gave Sean an idea.

"Rob! Cover me!" Sean reached into his pocket and pulled out a Smoke Screen. Robert twirled his spear, blocking and deflecting attacks. Then Sean shouted, "GET BACK!" as he threw the item. Sean and Rob ran back as there was a great blast and poisonous fumes filled the area. They backed up onto the stairs leading up to the raised platform and looked down. Zombies stormed right through.

"Oh, man!" Sean said. "They're immune!"

"Well," Robert said. "At least we knocked away a few with the opening blast." Then he swung his spear up through a head as Sean sliced off another. They noticed that they were being pressed back, up the stairs as they fought, and soon enough, they were up atop the platform. Ben and Marian saw this and came to help them. They all figured this would work. After all, they were able to stop the zombies from coming up a narrow stairway. But then disaster struck.

Sean saw it first. A zombie held something in his hand…something lit. Then he threw it at them.

"RUN!" Sean commanded and they all did, just in time. An explosion tossed them across the platform in various directions. Now they were in real trouble. There was only so much space on this platform, with many zombies waiting below. Besides, the explosion had done some damage.

Marian shook it off and looked back just in time to see a zombie charge at her. She put her spear in its path and it ran into the blade, as did the next. Marian shoved them into the next few and sliced through two more. Then, one cut her cheek with a spear and tried to hit again, but Marian tore through it and then spun around, cutting another.

Sean leapt up, cutting through one, then another. Sean then unleashed his Madness Hero attack. He swung five quick slashes, killing five zombies, but then took a hit to the ribs. Sean punched that zombie with his free hand then stabbed him. He ducked another blade and cut off that zombie's arm, then cut through that one and another in one slice. Sean blocked two swords, then planted his in the stone and leapt up, kicking them both back.

Robert planted his spear in the ground and flipped over it, knocking down a zombie, then he spun, cutting through many more. Robert then flipped his spear up, slicing through a zombie, then swung horizontally, cutting another. A sword came down and Robert dodged and stabbed his hand then bashed his face. Robert couldn't block the next spear and took a hit to the leg. Not good. Rob stumbled, but still sliced away.

Ben was the slowest, and immediately took a slice to the arm. Ben sliced through that zombie's head, and then brought a heavy slash down upon another before kicking away a third. Ben blocked another sword and knocked it out of his opponent's hand, then decapitated him and another. Ben kicked away one, then punched him and stabbed another through the heart. Ben used that fallen zombie as a shield from another with a twirling spear, then tossed him into him and stabbed through them both.

No matter how hard they tried, the Dragoons were getting pressed back. Their space was limited, but things weren't going to improve.

All of a sudden, the zombies stopped and looked at the stairs and roared and cheered.

"Now what?" Sean wondered aloud. Then it came. It looked like a zombie, and it was. But there were a few differences. This was Zackwell's great creation, the combination of ten souls. This zombie was bigger. Much bigger. The other zombies moved aside and it walked up to Sean. Now, Sean was a fairly tall guy. But this creature was more than twice his size. Fifteen feet of sheer strength. It stared at Sean with cold, blood red eyes and snarled. Sean gulped. But then, it raised its sword. This blade was about Sean's height, if not more. It reeled back to swing.

Sean gathered all energy into his legs and jumped. He was barely able to jump over the swinging blade. Then, Sean ran in attack before it could swing again. Sean struck the leg, but his sword just glanced off the skin. No armor or anything. The zombie swung down and Sean dodged, so the sword slammed into the ground. Sean ran through its legs just in time to see the only thing worse than this giant zombie:

Three more giant zombies. Each headed for a different person

"Oh, man." Ben thought as one of them came towards him. It stopped just above him and stared down, then pointed its sword down at him. Ben moved as it stabbed. It picked up its sword and stabbed again and Ben moved again. He kept this up for a bit. While he did, he pulled a Burn Out from his pocket and powered it up. Once it had reached its full potential, he threw it at the mega-zombie's head. There was a great blast and a ton of flames, but surprisingly, the creature was unaffected.

"This just keeps getting better and better." Ben groaned.

Marian had also discovered that items didn't work, nor did her magic. Her Mega-Zombie swung and Marian was able to duck under it. It swung down and Marian moved again. This time, its sword got stuck in the stone. Marian ran to its leg and tried sticking her spear into it. But by the time the zombie pulled its sword out again, she's barely pressed it in at all. She'd have to rely on her speed. The zombie swung again and she ran under its legs. The instant it turned, she ran underneath again. Hopefully, it would get dizzy. But suddenly, the zombie shot its leg in place and she ran into it. The zombie stabbed at her, but she rolled away.

Robert couldn't pierce the flesh of this beast either. The Mega-Zombie swung sideways and Robert leapt over it. But then it swung down. The instant it stuck there, Robert ran up the Mega-Zombie's arm and got onto its shoulder. Foolishly, yet reflexively, the zombie looked at him and Robert stabbed its eye. The creature reeled back and roared in pain and Robert jumped off it just in time. But then the zombie looked at him again with its one eye and roared. Now it was really mad. Robert ran.

Man, when would things get better? The Dragoons totally lost track of how long they'd been fighting. These Mega-Zombies were unbelievable! They were super-strong, fast, magic-resistant giants with skin as thick as a redwood! None of them had the strength to conquer these beasts. So how would they ever survive? Even if they did find a way to defeat them, the other zombies could still get them. This was just great. But then, something happened in the Dragoon's favor.

Sean's Mega-Zombie was getting fed up with this, and decided to go all-out. It gripped its sword with both hands, holding it in front of him. It seemed to gather energy and its blade glowed black. Sean looked around for somewhere to run. He saw Ben's Mega-Zombie also gathering energy and an idea popped into his head.

Sean whistled and Ben looked at him. They looked at each other, then smiles spread across their faces. The two friends nodded and ran at each other. And, of course, their zombies, now at full strength, chased them. The zombies in their way moved aside, not wanting to get hit as they ran. When they were right next to each other, the Mega-Zombies struck in unison. Ben and Sean then ducked. The zombie's massive swords clashed and there was a black shockwave, knocking over several zombies. Sean and Ben were pinned to the ground and the Mega-Zombies recoiled from each other's attacks and fell onto their backs.

The other zombies quickly got up and charged again. Sean got up, but his chest, and Ben's, was compacted from the blast. He pulled out the Life Water that Ira had given him. Only a small sip, she'd said. Ben was still on his back, groaning in pain. Sean first turned the vial and let a drop fall into Ben's mouth, then took a small sip. Both of them quickly got up. That was just the boost they needed and they began fighting again.

Sean and Ben had fought together for so long that on the battlefield, it was like their minds were joined as one. They each knew what the other was going to do. Both of them waited for the first wave and then spun around each other, cutting them all and did it once more for the second wave. Then the each tackled their own side. Ben gave the fiery slash once again and Sean gave three lightning-quick slashes. Then, Ben dragged his burning blade around in a semi-circle while Sean did the same with his. Then they ran at each other. Sean slid under and swung up, knocking a zombie to the moon, while Ben leapt over him, smashing a zombie with his Heat Blade.

Marian didn't know what to do with her current situation. She had no strength to conquer this beast, yet it was fast enough to stop her. She could only thing of using its abilities against it somehow. But how? She ducked under a horizontal swing, then dodged a vertical one. She noticed she was moving back with every move, towards the edge. Suddenly, she had an idea. She began running to the edge and it followed. As she ran, she powered up a Burn Out. Finally, she reached the edge and the zombie swung down. Marian expanded her wings and flew off the edge, tossing the fiery item under the giant's legs and set the item at its feet. The stone around it blasted off and the Mega-Zombie fell head-first into the ground, crushing several zombies. Then she turned her attention to the regular zombies coming at her now.

Robert had thought that he had given himself an advantage when he stabbed that Mega-Zombie's eye. However, it was REALLY mad now. Robert flipped over two horizontal swings and dodged a stomping foot, then moved out of the way of a backhand fist. Then the sword came at an upward angle, so Robert ducked and then ran. This thing was nuts! Robert ran away from it and the zombies cleared a path. They also knew how ticked off this thing was. Robert heard the sword stab into the stone right behind him and he turned reflexively. The Mega-Zombie backhanded him and Robert flew into the statue at the corner.

His mind was dazed from the impact. The Mega-Zombie ran at him and swung his sword. Robert regained thought just in time to duck. The sword smashed into the base of the statue and Robert thought it would fall, but amazingly, it stood. The zombie hovered over him and pointed his sword down. Rob leapt out of the way and tried swinging around the statue to get away, but the instant he tried, the statue hobbled. Then, the zombie came around and roared at him. It leaned too far in and swung at Rob. He moved away and got back on sturdy ground. The zombie's sword again hit the base of the statue. That, plus the zombie's massive weight caused the statue to lean. Robert ran up and helped by pushing it and soon, the Mega Zombie fell to the ground.

Rob stood on the pedestal and smiled, and then he turned and looked at the hundreds of zombies rushing at him. Robert looked at the flow of zombies heading up the stairs. He had to stop it somehow. Robert twirled his spear, gathering up power to use a wind blast. But then, a great life-saving plan appeared in his head. He ran out, still twirling and began spinning like a top. He cut through all the zombies in his way and gathered even more power. He kept spinning until he was in front of the stairs. Then he swung his spear up, cutting a zombie and taking his shield. Then he ran at the zombie flow.

Robert held his spear horizontally and shoved it forward. A green wave emerged, shooting the zombies back. Then, Robert took the shield and tossed it onto the stairs, then hopped onto it. Rob slid down the stairs as he pushed back the zombie wave. Who knew how many he was killing at this point? But when he got to the steps, he still had enough power left for a wind blast, knocking away a great number of zombies. Then, Robert had plenty of time to reach into his pocket and pull out a Down Burst, the most powerful wind item there was. It didn't need to be powered up. He just activated it and tossed it into the zombie hoard. A green, thin twister shot up and spun through several zombies, but then it all went up into the sky. Then, a green bubble came down. The instant it hit and spread, an uncountable number of zombies flew away, dead, in all directions. Robert was holding his spear out to all of this, gathering power into it. Then he gave another wind blast from his spear.

Sean, Ben, and Marian saw Rob stop the flow. Then they saw hundreds of zombies flying everywhere. What was he doing? They didn't have time to worry. Now that the flow had been stopped, they stood a much better chance. But Marian had an idea to make things much easier.

"Guys! I've got a plan! Cover me!" Both guys covered a different side of her as she pulled an item from her pocket and began to power it up. "When I say go, jump. And don't hesitate."

"Ooookaaaaay." Ben said.

The item reached its full potential and Marian threw it. "GO!"

Ben led the way, bashing through everything, and then they leapt off the platform just in time. A green wave spread out around the platform, warping reality. The zombies screeched and held their heads. It was a Mind Warp. The zombies couldn't fight it and soon fell to the ground, dead.

The Dragoons were now fighting on the forest floor again. Rob had gained a HUGE lead with his awesome act and Marian had eliminated a ton more. They figured they'd depleted at least half of them so far. But the Dragoons were getting tired. Plus, the Mega Zombies that had been on the platform were unaffected by the item.

Sean's turn. Sean ran into the zombies, pulling out his favorite item and powering it up. Once he was sure he was in the center, he dropped it. There were flashes and explosions of every Dragoon color as the Psychedelic Bomb went off. Who could count how many he'd killed with that item alone? Then, Sean picked up the reusable bomb and ran into the woods, as did the others.

Ben figured it was time he did something to wipe out a lot of them. They were coming in massive hoards. Ben began spinning with his sword out, gathering power. He kept this up and spun faster and faster. His sword glowed bright red and a zombie tried to attack, but the burning blade blasted him away. Finally, Ben pointed his sword at the mass heading straight for him. The sword acted like a flamethrower. Fire shot from it, roasting everything it touched. Then he pulled out a Burning Wave, the most powerful fire item there was, and tossed it at another mass. Orange flames surrounded them and a great fiery blast erupted. Ben used the fire to power up his sword again. Then he swung his sword and a flaming wave flew out, charring the enemies to a crisp.

The fight would be difficult now. They were going backwards, back downhill. As the zombies came, they'd have to fight uphill. Sean turned and sliced through a zombie, then blocked the blade of another and cut his head off. Then he backflipped, kicking a zombie in the head, snapping the neck, and spun, cutting two zombies. The earth began rumbling as the Mega-Zombies came back. Sean's returned to him and stabbed at him. Sean moved, but then the zombie swung a great punch. Sean flew high into the air. His consciousness was fading fast. That blow had been powerful. He didn't know quite how high up he was, but he knew that wherever he landed, he was a dead man. Sean was able to look down and see where he was going to land. A spring. Had that been there before? Sean closed his eyes.

WHAM! Sean hit the water hard. He was wrong. He hadn't died. But now, he had to live with the pain. And the water wasn't deep. Sean sank to the bottom, but guessed he could stand up in it. He was too weak to get up. He thought he'd drown. But just then, a surge of life rushed through him and he shot up. He was up to his waist in the water. He looked over himself. The slice along his chest was gone. So were all other wounds he had. And he felt energized. But how?

Just then, zombies began heading towards him. They looked as surprised to see him alive as he was. Sean still had his sword, thankfully and got ready to take them on, though it wouldn't be easy in the water. About five zombies headed into the water, but all of a sudden stopped and began screaming in pain. White cracks were forming up the zombie's legs and they fell into the water, splashing other zombies. When the water hit them, the screamed and jumped back. The water seemed to burn right through them. Sean looked at the ones that had fallen in. Within seconds, the water had burned through them entirely and had charred away all flesh and bone. All that was left was a soul for each one. The souls flew up and circled around Sean for a minute, then flew away.

Sean was very confused. The water was like acid to them, but why not him? Sean looked at it and saw his answer. The water sparkled in the sun and the sparkles formed together to form a picture of…a Dragon.

"Life Water." Sean said. It all made sense. "Purifies both body and spirit. They can't take it!" The other zombies looked at him. Sean grinned evilly. This was gonna be fun. He swung his sword, splashing water at them and they screeched as they burned and their souls were set free. Sean made his way out of the water, splashing the acid liquid on them. He cupped a bit in his hand and spread it in one's face. The other zombies began running away. Sean laughed.

He looked around for his friends and saw them fighting roughly. Sean put his fingers in his mouth and whistles, then shouted. "HEY! OVER HERE!" They ran over to him while fighting.

"Hope you got a plan!" Ben said.

"I do." He shoved Ben in the water. He did the same for Marian and Robert, then jumped in. The three got up, wondering what that was for, but didn't ask, for they felt the healing power.

"A healing spring?" Ben said, confused.

"More." They watched several zombies rush out at them into the water and then they burned. "Life Water." Sean said. "Purifies body and soul. It's like acid to them! Use the water!"

They all looked at each other and shrugged. All of them emptied their canteens and filled them with Life Water and began fighting.

Of course, the gang was fully refreshed and had a lot less zombies to deal with now. Sean soaked his sword and found it much more efficient to use. One swing cut through shield and body. All he needed was one swing per zombie now. Marian applied hers to her spear and spun it wildly, cutting through anything and everything. Ben feared the water would cancel the special power of his Heat Blade, so he didn't use it that way. A couple zombies ran up to him. He took a swig, then spat it in the zombie's faces, then cut through the ones he hadn't hit. Robert had a bit more fun. He took his shirt off and soaked it, then wrung it. All his locker room experiences had taught him a thing or two. He went up to a zombie and cracked the soaked shirt like a whip, smacking the zombie in the stomach-or through it. He kept snapping zombies with it for a while. It was a little too much fun to be real.

With their newfound energy source, the Dragoons tore through the zombies mercilessly while they were restored endlessly. If they ever got hurt or weary, a dip in the pool would refresh them. Soon enough, only the Mega-Zombies were left alive.

Robert cupped his shirt and gathered a great water amount into it and tied the ends together like a sack and charged. The zombie swung horizontally and Robert jumped over it, then kicked off a tree, then another and leapt at the zombie, wrapping his head in the soaked shirt. The zombie roared underneath it and dropped his weapon. White cracks formed down him and there was a great flash and the zombie disappeared. Rob fell to the ground. His shirt began thrashing around like crazy. He opened it up and ten souls flew out.

Marian ducked under her zombie's sword. It got stuck in a great tree and she ran up the zombie's arm. It roared at her and she shoved her Life Water vial into his mouth, then backflipped off him, her feet snapping his jaws shut. The burning fluid ran down his throat and he was disintegrated.

The Mega-Zombie stabbed at Ben and he moved, then leapt over the swinging sword. Ben soaked his dagger and threw it at the zombie's knee. It roared and fell. Ben took this opportunity. He ran up to its face and poured his canteen over it. The zombie clutched its face and let out and inhuman scream and fell onto its stomach. Ten souls flew free.

Sean's Mega-Zombie swung down and Sean dove between its legs. It turned and stabbed down and Sean rolled away. Sean stabbed its foot with his watery blade and it went through. The zombie roared, then kicked him away. Sean got back up and ran again, this time getting higher up the leg. It squatted down a tad and Sean got the knee. By turning around, Sean was now uphill. With it's knee giving out, the zombie began to stumble and fall back. It tried and finally caught itself. But Sean ran up to it and leapt into the air, kicked off a tree and kicked off the Mega-Zombie's chest, backflipping and landing perfectly on his feet. The Mega-Zombie fell back, right into the water.

All four Dragoons collapsed. They took a few minutes to catch their breath. Remembering the Life Water spring, the Dragoons drank from it and filled their canteens completely. No water ever tasted so sweet and cool. The Dragoons sat down anyway, just for the sake of it.

"So what's happened to far?" Ben asked. "We've been chased across the plains by a fiery demon,"

"We've slid down a mountain on a rock," Marian said.

"While being chased by the fire demon." Robert added.

"And we've been assaulted by a two-thousand man army." Sean finished.

"And we're still here." Ben said. He took a deep breath. "Why does Zackwell even try?"

They all stiffed a chuckle.

They headed back up the hill to the clearing, which was now covered with dead bodies. They decided to find a different place to rest.

Later that evening, the four of them reached the end of the forest. Now, only cool grasslands lay before them. Sean made sure to tell Ben not to start any fires this time.

The next day, around noon, they spotted it. On Sean's map, the spot they were supposed to meet was a place called, "Merging Rock." It was a rock formation that looked like three long, thin rocks joining as one in a sort of triangular fashion.

"This is it." Sean said.

"And look who's there to greet us!" Robert pointed at the numerous figures around the rock, two of which were running towards them.

Sean and Ben looked at each other, then broke into a run. Sean and Ben collided with their wives in a deeply passionate embrace, followed by a series of kisses. Robert and Marian caught up quickly and met with the others, who were beginning to gather around.

Sean counted his troops and came up with the number he wanted.

"We all made it." He said with a smile.

Melissa gave him a look. "What did you expect?"

* * *

The darker side spoke again. "C'mon, just help me out willingly-it'll make us a lot stronger if we cooperate. Then, you'll be free of Zackwell, the bane of your existence! You'll be saving the world, you know? C'mon, let's put aside our differences and work together. You _do _want to save the human race…don't you?"

The light side hesitated, then answered. "Yes…I want to save the human race from all forms of darkness…but that includes you." He looked up in to the eyes of his counterpart. "There can be no peaceful union between us. We will always be enemies."

The darker side shook his head, a little annoyed. "Fine. Remain a slave in your own body, I don't care. I'll steal your powers and still get my job done. You do what you want-it has no effect on me."

The lighter side seethed…but knew he was right.

"How am I gonna get out of this?"

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Got this one done quickly, eh? Lotsa copying and pasting from an old copy, to be honest. Anyway,everyone is finally back together again, but the toughest part remains yet ahead. I'm hoping that these next few chapters will be as phenominal as I plan them to be. By that, I mean lots of exciting things are coming up and I hope you'll all enjoy them. Stay tuned to see what becomes of the newly-unified Dragoons and the Prince of Darkness. Thanks again for all your reviews. See ya next time.


	21. Union

Chapter Twenty-One: Union

It only took a few seconds of scrambled words and interjections for the small family to realize that they all had stories to tell. They all took a seat.

"One story at a time!" Sean instructed. "Who got here first?"

"We did." Brad said. "Okay, so we're climbing the mountains and all, you know? Not a pleasant business and I don't care to see another mountain for as long as I live! We tried getting in one a day, but that was really freakin' slow. Anyway, we're climbin' one day and suddenly, this little battalion of dark warriors starts running at us. So, we start fighting them, then next thing I know, I'm out."

"Lightning bolt struck him." Mike took over. "Lovely. Now we had to carry him across the mountain, which wasn't easy, might I had. Anyhow, we carry him for a day, then we run into another big problem…really big, like fifteen feet tall with muscles bigger than me and a reeeeally big axe."

Christie spoke up. "Are you talking about a giant zombie?"

"Yeah…why?"

The group of women looked at each other, nodding. "We ran into one as well."

"Just wait til you hear _our_ story!" Robert scoffed.

"We'll get to everyone in time." Sean said. "Mike, keep going."

"Well, Jenn had to watch over Brad, so I took on this giant zombie thing, praying with every step. I mean this thing was as scary as it was enormous. In the end, I was able to get it to fall off the edge of the mountain…I quickly followed."

"We thought he was dead." Brad said a bit somberly, remembering the feelings of loss. Jenn squeezed Mike's hand tightly. "Well, we saw no other option but to move on. This is where things _really _get interesting. We go around the corner and find some guy fighting a bunch of zombies. Get this: it's a freakin' giganto!"

That brought a lot of wide eyes. "Yeah, that's what we did. Apparently, there's a whole community of them living in the mountains. The one we met, Dogul, took us in and showed us to the giganto elder-that's their leader. They let us stay the night and then we went into these…forbidden corridors that led right through the mountains. They were forbidden because of some sort of monster living in them."

"Was there really a monster?" Brittany asked.

"You bet there was!" Jenn snapped. "It was big, ivory, covered with blades, and really mean!"

Ben raised a brow. "So you met this fine specimen, then?"

"Oh, yeah. I got lost and wandered around into the wrong corridors. I even met Zackwell. He did the whole rap about joining him, but I declined, and then nearly became the monster's dinner. Fortunately, that's when Mike decided to come back from the dead."

Mike decided to take over. "When I fell down the mountain, the giant zombie grabbed hold of the ledge and I grabbed it. After some fighting, I got it to fall off and I spent the night on the mountainside. The next morning, I climbed back up and met a giganto scout, Logun. He brought me into the giganto community and I learned that Brad and Jenn had been there. So, I high-tailed it and made it just in time to save Jenn.

"After that, we met back up with Brad and got out of there. Once we were outside, we met Melbu Frahma. He didn't seem too happy that I was alive."

"That must've been a difficult battle." Christie said. Mike, Jenn, and Brad looked at each other with grins.

"Oh, yeah, reeeal tough!" Brad snickered. "The fight lasted about thirty seconds! He was so preoccupied with what he thought were the only threats: me and Mike, the experienced ones. He didn't even look at Jenn and she took him out quickly."

"Very becoming." Sean mused. Jenn took it as a great compliment.

"Then we got here." Brad continued. "Some time later, the girls showed up."

"Our turn!" Brittany piped up eagerly. "Our journey wasn't quite that exciting, but we _did _have a few unexpected events. First of all, we ran into one of those giant zombie things in a jungle. We couldn't fight it, so we ran. Suddenly, shwoop! We went through a portal to a hidden wingly colony."

Sean's eyebrows perked. "Was it Charle and the other Ularians?"

"No!" Christie took over. She figured that Brittany wouldn't want to tell this part of the story. "That's what made it even weirder. They were led by a guy named Cameron. It seems those winglies have been hiding in the forest since who-knows-when. We were going to stay the night, but…" This part got difficult. Melissa decided to say it.

"Darteth found us. He and Melbu invaded the wingly city and Cameron teleported us out before we were harmed. The next day, we faced off with Darteth and his Mega-Zombie pet. That's what he called them. They're made up of ten souls and enhanced by Melbu Frahma to be magically resistant. Darteth also gave them speed to keep up with smaller creatures. Anyway, we three fought them off and succeeded-barely, then we made it here and found these three." She indicated the first arrivals. "So, Sean, what happened to you guys?"

"What _didn't_ happen?" Ben snapped. "Okay, we're walking through the savannah. It's hot enough, right? Then a freakin' _stampede_ comes running at us! So, naturally, I came up with a good idea-quit laughing! Anyhow, I used by Heat Blade to make a fire in the grass, scaring off the animals. Like I said, a good idea…then Zackwell came and made the fire come alive and chase us off a cliff."

That got a bit of a shocked laugh from everyone.

"It wasn't too steep. Anyway, the fiery thing died out soon and we moved on peacefully. Then, we ran into the volcano…no, literally, we went _into_ it, where we met the fiery monster again, with all the fuel it needed to survive! Naturally, we ran. Outside, we blew a big ol' chunk of rock off the mountainside and slid down it to escape the steadily-erupting volcano. We were tossed, we were turned, we were okay."

"Sounds…exciting." Jenn said, unsure what else to say.

"Well, not quite at the time." Robert admitted, "But later, yeah, we decided it was kinda fun. Anyway, we went into the forest and Marian got sick-real sick. You won't believe why! We found out that deep in the forest, we don't know where anymore, there's a small colony…of _dragons_."

This was the most interesting story yet and the other Dragoons could hardly believe their ears.

"Say that again." Mike requested.

"Dragons." Robert said. "Five of 'em. One can read minds, he's kinda cool. One of 'em even brought Marian back to life-and I'm eternally grateful for that!"

Brad's hand shot up. "Wait, wait. When you say she was brought back to life, you mean…brought back to life?"

"Did I stutter?"

Sean picked it up. "She's the Life Dragon, capable of reviving the deceased, but only if their soul has not left this world. In other words, it has to be quick."

Robert continued. "The reason Marian got sick in the first place is cuz of another dragon who can make lotsa poisons. Then there was a big metal one that didn't talk, and finally, a big, fat jerk who hates everything that's not a dragon! Not good, considering he could kill you with a bad stare."

"His views on humanity are twisted." Sean muttered. "He only allowed us to leave if the mind-reading dragon, their leader, would erase the location of the dragon home from our minds, which he did, so we can't go back there."

"Then the _real_ fun began!" Marian groaned. "You guys talk about the big, nasty Mega-Zombies? Try facing FOUR OF THEM! Plus two-thousand more! It was a nightmare! They would have killed us if we hadn't found a healing spring that eradicates them."

"We were very lucky." Sean concurred. "But we made it out alive and made it here. After hearing all your stories, I have to admit, I'm amazed. Gigantos? Winglies? Dragons? All these creatures of old, still alive and no one knows it. Yet we found them, we dragoons, all because we were forced upon a quest. It's a lot of coincidences thrown into one phenomenon.

Sean shook his head. "At any rate, we're all here and okay. I'm glad for that. Even with our powers taken from us, we were able to travel all the way here and reunite, despite Zackwell's traps."

"It seems we were fated to survive." Mike mused. Brad smacked him upside the head.

"Thanks for the jinx, preacher, now we're all gonna die."

They laughed at that and Sean looked up at the sky. "Sun's still got a ways to go. How about it, team? Think we can get in some more tracks before nightfall?"

The Dragoons looked at each other and agreed, one by one. The ten of them stood and began walking, a powerful team refreshed and ready for battle.

"I like that we're all together again." Christie said it for everyone.

"Yeah." Ben chuckled. "I feel invincible."

Sean smiled and quoted the oldest phrase he knew: "When Dragoons meet, blood does flow, and when they part, time does slow."

* * *

For a couple hours, the group walked in the direction of Zackwell's castle. Soon, they came upon a rock jutting out that marked the end of the cliff. Sean looked over and saw that it wasn't too far down, but it was steep. Down at the bottom was what looked like a wide, circular cutout. Sean looked up and the sun was starting to set.

"That looks like a great place to stay for the night." He told everyone else. "We'll continue in the morning."

That cliff went on for quite a while. They found some ledges and headed down them, then went back to that spot. They got a fire going and sat down in the mixture of grass and dirt. The yellow sun was setting steadily, casting a warm, comfortable light upon the Dragoons.

"So, Sean." Ben said. "What exactly is your plan to going into Mayfil?"

Sean looked at him for a while, tapping his fingers together with a blank face. "Plan…right."

"You don't have one, do you?"

"No. I figure we'll just wing it."

"How wonderful and reassuring. I feel great already!"

"Ah, chill. We'll be fine. The four of us along took out two thousand."

"At that ratio, we'll be able to take out five thousand." Mike said.

"Mind your own business!" Sean snapped.

Ben shook his head. "Whatever you say, man."

"Well, have you got any ideas?"

"…um…"

"I thought so."

"How's this," Brad said, "We go in and kill anything that comes at us and then we take our Dragoon Spirits back and kill everything else, take our kids, and get the heck outta there."

"You make it sound so simple." Marian said.

"It is!"

They all rolled their eyes. Then, Sean thought he heard something over the roar of the fire. He looked around. There was a hill in the distance and Sean thought he heard something on the other side. He stood up and took a few steps closer.

"Sean?" Melissa asked. "What is it?"

"Shh. Hang on." He kept listening and the noise became more distinct. "You all hear that?"

"I do." Rob said, standing.

"So do I." Brittany said.

"Me too." Brad said.

Everyone began hearing it. It sounded like…hollering…a lot of hollering.

Then they came.

They stormed over the hill. Hundreds, no, thousands of zombie troops charging over the hill and heading straight for them.

"Whoa" Brad said.

Sean drew his sword. "Zackwell is sure determined. Let's get ready to fight."

No one disagreed. They got their various weapons ready. Of course Zackwell would toy with them and give them all hope, then steal it from them when they were so close. The Dragoons stared at this dark hoard rushing at them, feeling defeated already. Sean tried to keep the morale up.

"We're still the Dragoons! Until the very end, we are Dragoons! Zackwell can't take that from us, nor can anyone else! No matter what happens to us, our kind, or this world, we are still the Dragoons! Now come on! Let's show these warriors just how hard a Dragoon is to kill! GOOO!"

Then he charged forward, followed by his nine companions. Both armies charged into the fray.

Sean jumped up and spun and slammed his sword through one zombie, the swung up and cut through another and slashed horizontally, cutting through another. Then he ducked under a fist, then cut through that zombie and kept spinning and slashed three at once. Sean kicked one back into the sword of another, and then punched another back into a spear. Then he parried a blade and cut two coming at either side of him. He thrust his Claymore into a zombie's throat and tore it out the side and through another's. Sean spun his feet around to trip three, causing a small domino effect. Then he tossed a Gushing Magma to take out a bunch more.

Ben knocked the sword out of a zombie's hand and it landed in another's stomach. Then he cut through that zombie and quickly sliced through another. He ducked under an axe and struck that zombie in the stomach, then jumped up and kicked off another two, then cut through another. Ben raised his sword up and sliced down through a zombie's head, then spun around with his blade out to slice through three stomachs. Ben blocked a blade, then kicked him down and deflected a spear headed for him, then he pounded that one in the face then spun and stabbed another. All this time, Ben's blade had been powering up. He sliced through three more, then he swung it again and a flaming wave shot from the blade and burned through many. Finally, he spun and a wind blast sent them flying.

Robert spun his spear to block two blades, then he planted two quick stabs, then swung his spear up through one. Robert spun low with his foot out, catching many zombies, and then she spun higher up, cutting through them all. Rob ducked and let two zombies stab each other, then he shoved them into the fray. Robert then planted his spear in the ground and spun around it, kicking two back. Then he stabbed one and then twirled the spear in his hand and sliced two zombies when they got close enough. Robert jumped and kicked two zombies coming on either side then he stabbed his spear into the heart of another and tore it out the side to kill another, then quickly stab a third.

Brad gave three quick punches to the heads of three zombies, then grabbed the arm of a fourth and threw him over his shoulder and into a few more zombies. Brad then jumped up and kicked off one zombie, then another, then spun his leg around, kicking down three more. Brad ducked under a sword, then gave an uppercut that blasted the zombie back and then spun low, tripping two zombies, then he quickly got up and kicked them both away. Then Brad raised his foot up and kicked two zombies, then did the same with the others and then punched a zombie into the blade behind it. Brad had then gathered enough energy and thrust his fists forward and a violet electrical force shot through the army.

Mike parried two blades at once with the flat side of his axe. Then he slammed it into the zombie on his right and raised his foot up to kick another one. Then he pulled up his axe and spun left, then right to slam a bunch of zombies away. A zombie swung a sword at him, but Mike blocked it, then kicked it down, then turned and punched a zombie into the blade of the one behind him. Then he ducked under a blade and spun around, backhanding four of them. Then he spun an upward swing, knocking a zombie away, then kept spinning and slammed away many more. Then Mike jumped into the air and slammed his Earthshaker Axe into the ground. The ground shook and a seismic wave zoomed through the ground, blasting back several zombies.

Melissa thrust her spear into a zombie's stomach and tore it upward. Then she brought it down onto another and then she spun and sliced through another and stabbed a third. Melissa then ducked low and stabbed a zombie's knee and then spun around and sliced through a bunch of legs. Then she jumped up and kicked off two zombie's chests and flipped backwards. Then she stabbed one heart, then a head, then a throat. Melissa made a quick swipe to slice off a head, then she back flipped and kicked two zombies away. She spun around to sliced through three zombies. Melissa finally gave a powerful swing and a black wave shot through many zombies.

Christie stabbed two zombies with her light-based arrows and then yanked them out and stabbed two more. Then she spun around, kicking another zombie. A zombie stabbed at her with a spear. Christie shot her arrows into its chest and grabbed the spear. She thrust the it into another zombie, then spun and sliced three more. Christie evaded sword and then stabbed an arrow into that zombie and the other into the zombie coming up on her left. Then she did a back flip, slicking through two zombies and kept back flipping until she was away from the crowd. A Sparkle Arrow and twirled it in her hand She fired it. The white magic caused the arrow to shoot through several zombies with a wave effect.

Marian moved away from a blade and knocked it away, then spun her halberd around and sliced upward through the zombie, then changed her angle and tore through another. Then she began spinning her halberd vertically and knocked various weapons out of zombie's hands, then spun, slicing through all of them. Then she planted her spear in the ground and flipped over it, then spun around, slicing a bunch of zombies. Jumped up and back flip-kicked off two zombies to get away from the crowd once more. Then she stabbed a zombie, the spun around and thrust her spear behind her to cut through one. To gain more ground, Marian poured a bit of magic into her weapon and spun around, smacking the zombie crowd back with a great force.

Brittany spun at an angle, smashing down on a zombie, and then swung her mallet back up, knocking away one more. Brittany then slammed her hammer down onto a zombie and flipped over it and crushed another zombie. Then she spun her hammer around, then turned back around and slammed a zombie and flipped back over and spun again to knock away a few more. Brittany put the head of her hammer onto the ground and leapt up and forward, kicking off zombies, running along them until she was back in place, then she just spun and knocked a bunch of zombies away. Brittany then spun the mallet around her hands and it glowed a light blue. Then she spun with her hammer out and she smacked away a few zombies as well as sent a white, freezing blast through the crowd.

Jenn blocked a sword by crossing her daggers, and then spread them apart to shove the zombie back into the spear of the one behind him. Then she spread her arms out to stab the two zombies coming at her. Then she swung her daggers up to slash through two heads, then she spun low to trip several more. Zombies leapt over the fallen ones and Jenn ducked under a blade and stabbed that zombie, then spun and kicked the blade out of a hand then stabbed that one. Jenn turned and ran at a zombie, then slid under its legs and let the one chasing her kill it, then she kicked off the zombie now in front of her and back flipped back to her original spot and sliced through the zombie.

The Dragoons were actually doing quite well, but the zombies just kept on coming and coming. There didn't seem to be and end to them. They fought and fought for a time they couldn't decipher. But every zombie was new and fresh, while the Dragoons would soon begin to tire. They had all had a rough day already. None of them were really ready for this, and it soon showed.

The Dragoons were slowly getting pushed back against the wall. Finally, one of the zombies had something. It threw a small ball at the Dragoons and the other zombies stepped back. Before the Dragoons could think to do so as well, there was an enormous magical blast.

All the Dragoons were blasted far back and slammed against the stone wall. They all could barely get back up. And when they did, they were in no fighting condition. The zombies had stopped to laugh. They too knew that this was their moment of triumph.

Sean spat out blood and hobbled. His left leg wasn't working right. He looked back at the Dragoons, who all had their own variety of problems. He then looked back at the zombies, who still hadn't moved yet. The flow had finally stopped, but there were still a ton of zombies around and not enough working Dragoons.

Sean wished that now more than ever that he had his Dragoon Spirit. He longed to be able to use the Divine Dragon Ball to destroy them all. If he couldn't do that, he'd at least be able to fly right to Mayfil and take Eric back. But he would be able to do neither of those things. He wished he could apologize to Eric for failing him. Just to say goodbye even, just a few seconds. But it looked like he wouldn't even be able to see him anymore. Sean wished that he could also thank the Divine Dragon for all he'd done. He'd been like a second father to him since Anna died, a mentor and friend. But that wouldn't happen either. The Divine Dragon's spirit would be kept captive forever, Eric would become some mind slave or whatnot, and the world would be conquered by Zackwell and every human would die.

Finally, Sean spoke to the other Dragoons. "Guys…I just want to say…I'm glad I found you all." They all looked over at him. "Being a Dragoon would've really sucked without you guys. Without you, I never would've even made it this far…and I thank you all. It's been fun. And hey, let's take out as many as we can before we go, eh?"

"But they'll just be revived anyway." Ben said.

"True, but at least we'll have the satisfaction of taking something down with us." He looked back and grinned. The others smiled back. "Alright then. Let's make this death an honorable one!"

He pointed his sword at a zombie and said, "You can give Zackwell this message: You tried to break our spirits, you tried to drown our hope. But we're going to fight until the very last! And all other humans will do the same!"

The zombies roared back, angrily, tired of their stalling. As they got ready to charge, Brad spoke.

"Remember the last time we were in a jam like this?" He looked at the faces of his comrades. "Remember how the Endiness Army came to save our hides?" He chuckled and then saw the zombie army charging. "I sure wish that would happen again."

WHOOM! Military helicopters flew right over their heads and instantly began firing their machine guns at all the zombies around. They all shouted and looked around, but could not stop the onslaught.

The Dragons stared for a moment, and then looked at Brad.

"I also wish I had a million bucks!" Brad looked around for some granting of his wish.

Helicopters kept flying over the cliffs and opening fire. Plus, many swooped low and allowed soldiers to step off. However, the first one to step off the chopper was a man the Dragoons knew quite well. The recently-appointed General Jeffery Sanders. He wore the typical camouflage outfit with a general's helmet on his head. With an sword in his hand, an Uzi at his side, and a cigar in his mouth, this man was ready for action.

General Sanders tossed the cigar to the ground and stomped it out, then turned to the Dragoons. "You all alright?"

"Um," Sean said, "We're a little banged up, but we're alive."

The general nodded, then reached into a sack at his side and pulled out a Healing Rain and used it. A cool, refreshing, healing shower rained down upon the Dragoons, healing their wounds. Within seconds, the Dragoons were fine again, and ready to go.

"General," Ben spoke up, "what are you guys doing here?"

The general gave him a look. "Oh, Zackwell invited us over for a violent tea party. WE'RE HERE TO FIGHT, BOY! What's it look like? Now less stupid questions and more fighting!" He turned to the zombie army with the many troops that were landing and drawing their swords. This revealed the stinger missile latched to his back.

"He's been itching for this, hasn't he?" Brittany chuckled.

"Seems so." Sean mused. "Alright, let's go!"

The army's aid was incredible. Soon enough, Tanks and jeeps were able to maneuver around the cliffs and join in the fight, bringing more men and weapons. They remembered their last encounter with these zombie warriors and kept to their swords, hacking and slicing through their thick skin. The general proved to be as excellent a fighter as the Dragoons remembered.

Sean made a point to work his way near the general for a few words. "Somehow, I didn't think you'd be here, since you're the general now."

General Sanders just laughed. "And miss out on this? Not on your life, son!" They started fighting again. The general had enough morale to go around.

Zombies were being slaughtered by the hundreds, and the humans lost few. But trouble then came over the horizon. The Dragoons saw them. Mega-Zombies came over the hill, at least five hundred strong. They stormed through the crowds, wanting a taste of human flesh.

General Sanders turned to Sean, trying to keep his cool. "And I suppose you know just what the heck those things are?

"Mega-Zombies." Sean groaned. "They're no pushovers. Pull out your heavy artillery for this."

"How's this? He pulled another grenade out and pulled the pin, then counted and threw it. He had great accuracy and the Mega-Zombie had a huge mouth, because that's where it went.

BOOM! The Mega-Zombie's head exploded.

"That'll work." Sean said with a nod. "Can all your soldiers land it in their mouth?"

"Nope."

"Nice knowing you."

Soldiers fired heavy machine guns from the choppers, but they barely prevailed. The Mega-Zombies came on far too strong. The humans stood no chance as the zombies made their comeback.

Brad kicked through a few more zombies before he saw one of the giant counterparts coming at him.

"Uh-oh."

The zombie swung a big sword and Brad moved away, but he'd forgotten to anticipate the giant's speed and met the creature's backhand. Brad went flying across the battlefield and landed on his back, the wind knocked out of him. The Mega-Zombie ran to Brad and swung his blade down.

CLANG!

A giganto axe blocked the attack and pressed against it. The giganto at the base end pushed back and struck the zombie in the gut, piercing it with little difficulty. When the monster hunched over, the giganto bashed its face with its blade.

Brad stared in shock. "DOGUL!"

He turned and nodded to him. Then, more gigantos came all around him, charging into the battle.

The other Dragoons also saw them coming around. They were actually able to fight the Mega-Zombies! They were still a deal shorter, but they could strike much harder and block more efficiently than the humans could.

Brad got up. "Dogul, what are you doing here?

"Helping humans win war! Humans convince gigantos to come out of mountains and fight! May die, but may win too."

"That's the spirit!"

Dogul nodded and got back to fighting. Two Mega-Zombies swung at him with swords, but Dogul parried them both, then kicked on in the stomach, so it doubled over, then swung his axe up through his head and slammed it down on the second. Then he swung another kick to the smaller zombies, then swung his axe horizontally to knock away a bunch. Dogul ducked under a swinging spear and swung his axe, cutting the weapon in half. Then he chopped off an arm, then rammed the axe into its heart. A larger Mega-Zombie swung a huge axe down. Dogul put his axe up to blocked it and was being pushed back. But then in a burst of strength, Dogul shoved him back and he fell onto two more. Dogul jumped up and slammed his axe into its throat, then into the heads of the two under it.

The smaller zombies didn't even stand a chance against the gigantos. The odds were evened now, and the combined forces were quickly wiping out the zombies.

But then, something else came. The Dragoons hadn't seen anything like this since their first real battle. They swarmed in the sky like locusts, covering the sky with their long, ivory wings. Their long, bulky arms were stretched far out in attack and their many green eyes scanned the scene.

"VIRAGES!" Sean exclaimed. There were tons of them. The humans and gigantos looked up at them, but couldn't think of a way to stop them. Then, they began firing their beams at the humans. Many were obliterated with every blast. The Dragoons could dodge easier, however. Humans fired at them, but their skin was too thick. Gigantos couldn't even touch them before they died. A virage landed on the ground and grabbed a giganto and crushed it in its grasp like a grape, then threw it back onto the ground. Gigantos were strong, but they couldn't defend against magical blasts and the uncharted virage strength. Once again, things looked hopeless.

Melissa sliced through two zombies, then backflip-kicked two more. Then, a virage swooped low and Melissa hit the dirt to avoid it. She watched it circle around to try again. She again moved away when it swooped. Then she noticed a red dot on her shirt, like a laser pen. Then it vanished and she looked up and a virage fired a white beam from its eye. She flinched only a little before a magical shield appeared in front of her and deflected the blast right back at the virage and it fell to the ground. Now the question arose: Where had the magic shield come from?

Just then, there was a white flash as a person came into view with silver hair, almost touching his shoulders.

"Cameron!"

He looked back and nodded. Then he put his fingers in his mouth and whistled. There were many white flashes as a wingly army stormed forward in the sky.

"Let me guess." The general said, "Winglies."

"Yep." Brittany said, "Who was nearest to him." Then she looked over at Cameron and bit her lower lip.

The virages fired their beams at the winglies, but they put up magical shields strong enough to withstand the attack. They also fired their own beams, and the virages could do nothing against it. The winglies could keep in the air with the virages, giving the other forces time to deal with problems on land.

A sword appeared in Cameron's hand and he jumped into the air and his wings appeared. He thrust the sword out and a beam ripped through a virage. One tried to grab him, but Cameron teleported and stabbed the virage in the head, then spun and fired a beam from his hand to kill another virage. Cameron tossed his sword up and crossed his arms together. Flames spread across them and he swung them out and a fiery wave shot through four virages. Cameron reached up and caught his sword. He shot forward at incredible speed and dashed through a virage, then another, then another. Finally, he closed his eyes and spoke wingly words, then flicked his wrist and a black light surrounded several virages and killed them.

Humans, winglies, and gigantos. There hadn't been an alliance like this since the time of the second Dragoon Calling. But it proved to be a very powerful one. Humans took out the great masses of zombies with their strength and numbers. Gigantos fought Mega-Zombie's with their extraordinary strength. Winglies slaughtered the virages with their magical skills. With such a combination, nothing seemed to stop them. But Zackwell wasn't one to give up easily, and Melbu wasn't done showing what he had up his sleeves.

The ground trembled and all races looked around in confusion. Then, something rose up out of the ground behind the zombie hoard. They were massive, bulky beasts. Their left arm seemed paralyzed at a 45 degree angle. The other arm just looked like a rectangular stub with many holes. Their heads barely jutted out of their bodies. They didn't look like much, but they were even a Dragoon's worst nightmare.

"SWEET MOTHER OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN!" The general exclaimed. "WHAT ARE THOSE?

"Aw, man." Sean said. "Super Virages."

"Eh?"

"A sub species of the virages. Virtually indestructible. We fought one of these a long, long time ago. But it was far from easy!"

The Super Virages all stuck their lever-like arms into the ground and tentacles shot up from the ground and each grabbed a human, giganto, or wingly and lifted them up, slammed them all together and dropped them and the tentacles sank back into the ground. Those who lived could barely shake it off. Then, they began firing incredible blasts. Winglies put up shields, but they were easily broken through. Choppers swooped in close and fired missiles, but they did almost nothing.

Finally, a bunch of winglies flew in and fired their most powerful blasts at one Super Virage. They strained with all their might, but when it was over, the Super Virage still stood.

"Even they can't kill it!" The general said.

"Don't be so sure."

"It's still standin'!"

But then, the Super Viarage began to tremble and power up.

"Oh, it's dying, alright." Sean said. "Super Virages have this finishing move. It's more deadly than anything else they can throw at you."

"How deadly is that?"

"GET DOWN!" He shouted.

The Super Virage inhaled and its eyes glowed. Finally, it fired a billion rapid-fire violet blasts, each able to destroy a building. Everyone dodged and ducked the best they could, but many were killed. Then, the Super Virage exploded. It was far enough away that it couldn't effect the alliance very much, but if it had been close enough, it could've wiped them all out. This worried Sean because they were slowly moving forward.

Sean and the general got back up.

"Okay," The general said. "Got any more secret armies?"

"Not expecting any. Man, the explosions didn't even hurt the other Super Virages!"

Then, one of them looked at them and fired a violet blast. Sean and the general jumped back, but then, three virages jumped in front of them and took the hit. They were all quickly killed. But the men were stumped. Why had they done that? Then, more virages suddenly turned and began fighting everything else. The zombies, Mega-Zombies, and Super Virages were baffled, as were the humans, gigantos, and winglies. What was going on?

Sean stared very carefully, then he smiled, and then laughed. Then Sean said aloud, "Nagasil! You sly devil!"

The alliance all heard a chuckle in their heads, then a voice say, "Correct again."

A green dragon flew over their heads and hovered in the sky. All four of his eyes glowed intensely as he roared. Zombies all around grabbed their heads as their brains were shattered from within. The victims dropped dead.

Sean looked up to see the other Dragons coming at the crowd. Ira was getting in some good practice with her powers of light. The dark zombies didn't stand a chance. Smurgh spread his poisons across the battlefield and attacked the virages mercilessly. Clayton threw his bulk about, smashing the larger foes and toppling them easily.

As he looked towards the skies, Sean couldn't help but notice that one was missing. Of course. Norgoth. Why on earth would he come to save the humans? Sean sighed. He would be so very helpful, too.

Still, the four dragons that were present did very well with their combined forces taking out the many foes. They stayed in a bit of a clustered group, protecting each other…at least that's how it seemed.

Suddenly, all four dragons scattered in different directions and Sean saw the purpose behind the cluster. They were hiding something: a fifth dragon flew onto the scene, scales blacker than midnight, blades all down its back, devilish horns on its head with two more pointing backwards, eyes redder than blood, and jaws salivating for some. The massive dragon floated over the enemies and its body shimmered with the power of darkness. Norgoth landed with a heavy thud in front of the enemy lines. With eyes flashing red and wings spread wide, the dragon emitted an incredible roar that made the earth shake and the skies rumble. Black flashes danced across the battlefield as many, many zombies suddenly thrashed and dropped dead where they stood. The roar carried on for an incredible time and when Norgoth's lungs were finally empty, he halted the attack and breathed normally again. His entire body was shaking, not from exhaustion, but from the sheer intensity of it all.

The general's eyes nearly flew from his sockets. He groped for a cigar and lit it quickly. "Shee-yit!"

"No thanks." Ben muttered. "Already did."

All races went at it in this battle, all fighting for the same thing: the chance to save their species. Dragons showed their power, Winglies showed their skill, Gigantos showed their strength, and Humans showed their determination. All of them kept fighting what they could defeat and left everything else to everyone else.

Virages and Super Virages were quickly defeated, and dragons and winglies turned their attention to the zombies. The dragons help wipe out the Mega-Zombies and the winglies helped the humans in obliterating the zombies. At long last, the battle was over, and now, the Dragoons had four armies at their aide. The battle for Eric, Mark, Sabrina, and the Dragoon Spirits would begin tomorrow.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: But not for two more chapters! Sorry, got some ground to cover before we can fight for humanity. Thanks everyone for your marvelous reviews. Lots of action happening lately, but the next chapter will be much more mellow. Can't be sure when it'll be up, but hopefully soon.

Some of you are wondering about Spike's story and why he hasn't posted lately. Well, first off, Spike's life is kinda busy at the moment. Second, we're having technical difficulties. I tried to take a look at the story and upload it for him, but it turns out that the file is corrupted, so we can't even open it. Spike's going to have to re-write the chapter, I think (and hopefully no more). As far as I know, he has no plans for cancelling it, but I don't know how soon the next chapter will be posted. When Spike finally gets it done, he'll be sure to put it up as quickly as possible. Thanks for your patience. Ciao!


	22. The Night Before

Chapter Twenty-Two: The Night Before

The sun was nearly set by the time everything got calm again. The various armies were instructed to set up camp for the night. The zombie corpses were piled upon one another and set aflame. Several bonfires were set up to brightly light all of the camp, and a full moon was beginning to show. When all was settled, the reunions could formally begin.

Dogul found Brad and lifted him up in a great bear hug. "Dogul is happy to see you again!"

"You too, Dogul." Brad wheezed. "But put me down-I can't breathe!"

Dogul released him. "Sorry." He looked at Mike, then Jenn. "Dogul is happy to see a smile on your face."

Jenn beamed brighter. "It's good to see you again, Dogul. Sorry I was rude before."

"No apologies. Dogul only apologizes that gigantos not come sooner."

"Yeah, why'd you guys come, anyway?" Brad asked.

"Elder is connected to mountain; Elder feels all. After you go into Forbidden Corridors, Elder suddenly feel no evil inside. Gigantos discover that mountains safe again. Dogul think that if three humans can stop monster giant, perhaps, can defeat greater evil. Gigantos have confidence in victory, so we come."

"It's a good thing you did, too." Brad turned to the others. "Everyone, this is Dogul, he head warrior of the gigantos. Dogul, this is Sean, Ben, Melissa, Robert, Marian, Christie, and Brittany. Sean's our leader."

The human and the giganto shook hands. "It's good to meet you. It's good to know that gigantos exist, in fact. We had no idea. Speaking of which, we also had no idea that there were other winglies about!" He turned to Cameron. "But your troupe certainly made a debut appearance at the right time!"

"So it seems." Cameron nodded. "After our home was destroyed, our remaining forces came to a conclusion: there is no safe haven for anyone. We decided that we may as well fight instead of waiting to be picked off. I'm glad to see you all again."

Brittany clutched Brad's hand tightly. He gave her a questioning look, but she acted normal.

Cameron looked around. "I am also pleased to see such a turnout. And dragons!" He looked up at Nagasil. Who would have thought?"

Sean took his cue. "Right, everyone, that's Nagasil, dragon of wisdom." He looked at the others. They were staying near Nagasil, seeming unsure of what to do. "The white one is Ira, the life dragon. That's Clayton, dragon of steel, and Smurgh, the miasma dragon." He looked around. "Where's Norgoth?"

"Off on his own." Nagasil said. "Did you really expect him to come to a gathering of humans, much less winglies?" He looked at Cameron. "No offense, but Norgoth doesn't share the same respect for other races as I do."

"He's the dragon of death." Sean said. "It's probably better than he keep away. But how on earth did you get him to come?"

"Norgoth has been itching for a chance to use his powers for the longest time. When I depicted just how much damage he could do, he agreed on the condition that he didn't have to associate with anyone but dragons. So any requests you have for him are best filtered through me."

"Alright…but what convinced you all to come in the first place?"

"I kept a mental eye on you all and saw you defeat the zombie swarm. Your determination was quite inspiring."

"We Dragoons do that." Sean admitted. "Dragons, winglies, and gigantos. This is amazing."

The general cleared his throat. "You don't seem to show enough appreciation for your own race, buddy boy."

Sean chuckled. "Sorry, I forgot. It's good to see you again, General."

"Likewise. And for those of you who don't know me, I am General Jeffery Sanders. You may refer to me as 'General,' 'General Sanders,' or 'Sir.' Anything else and you will be shot."

"Good ol' Sir." Rob laughed.

The general looked at the massive amount of warriors. More humans were pouring in as the ground vehicles made their way around the cliffs and reunited with the others.

"Looks like we've got ourselves quite the army. I'd recon we can take down Mayfil now." He turned back to Sean. "Well, you're the Dragoon leader, so it's your call, kid."

"Turning over authority so quickly?" Sean was amazed.

"Hey, I may be general of the United Endiness Army, but I know my place."

"Dragoons in charge." Dogul said. "Gigantos follow Dogul. Dogul follow Dragoons."

Cameron added in, "The wingly forces await your command."

Nagasil said, "Dragoons are called to command the dragons…so I suppose us following you is only natural then." He gave a sort of smirk.

Sean scratched the back of his head, taking in all the authority. "Very well then. Our primary concerns are the Dragoons Spirits and our kids. Now, as much as I love the kids, I think that the Dragoon Spirits should be recovered first. That way, we'll be in more shape to save our children and protect them.

"We'll rest tonight and attack tomorrow morning, but stay alert! We don't want Zackwell catching us in our sleep."

General Sanders chuckled. "If he were smart, he'd spend his free time trying to conjure up an army strong enough to face us."

Sean nodded. "Yeah…but Zackwell has been known to underestimate humans." He smiled.

* * *

Zackwell's hands nearly crushed the stone of the balcony rail, overlooking all of Mayfil. He'd seen the gathering. He wasn't pleased.

"It is impossible! How did this happen? Where did they all come from?"

"Not all stones of the earth are unturned."

Zackwell spun around to behold his dark master.

"And the Dragoons have been known to have powerful allies."

"My Lord-"

"You _always_ underestimate them!"

"That's why I sent that army of zombies and the like! I wanted to wipe them off the map, even if by overkill! How was I to know that the others would join them!"

"You weren't."

Zackwell was stunned that Lucifer agreed. "E-exactly…so-"

Lucifer fumed. "So that is exactly why you should have killed them the second they were powerless! You conjured a game for them to play and they played it well! They mastered it, in fact! Now they have you cornered at your end of the board!"

"I am not cornered!" Zackwell countered. "I am not even in check yet! I can conjure up an infinite zombie army and Melbu can summon more virages. Besides, he, Darteth and I are formidable warriors, and we can deal with their army. All who die can be revived!"

"They're not trying to eliminate your army, you fool! They're coming to reclaim what is theirs!"

Zackwell's eyes narrowed. "I will die before I see that happen!"

Lucifer nodded. "Or shortly afterwards."

* * *

Everyone went about their own business in the camp. Sean spoke with the general.

"Lots of troops."

"Oh, yeah. We've pulled out all the stops. Every troop possible is here for this battle. We took 'em out of all the various posts all over the map. If we defeat Zackwell, they won't need to be guarded anyway, right?"

"Right, but remember our primary concerns. Once we get the Dragoon Spirits back as well as Eric, Sabrina, and Mark, we can go home at any time."

"What about that Chris kid?"

Sean looked at him. "You know about Chris then?"

The general took a puff from his cigar. "I was going to wait until you asked how we found out you were here, but this is as good a time as any. Follow me." They began walking. "When you all up and disappeared, we all got worried. After little while, we're suddenly informed of the entire situation, about Chris, your kids, and the Dragoon Spirits. We started moving for the castle and found you folks just in time. In fact, we didn't see you at first and just started firing at the zombies to get the jump on them."

Sean had to know. "So who tipped you off about our whereabouts?"

"They did." He pointed to three people sitting in the back of a jeep. Sean recognized them. They were Chris's friends, Caleb, Nick, and Cara. With camouflage pants, a green sleeveless shirt, a green bandana, black boots, a sword, and an AK-47, Caleb looked like a regular commando. Nick looked a little more out of place with a black shirt and camouflage pants, but also holding a weapon. Cara wore a black shirt with dark green pants, but had a weapon at her side like the rest of them.

"What the!" Sean was baffled.

"They said they had a lot to do with the whole situation and that you'd all know about it."

Sean nodded. "Chris gave himself up to protect them."

"And now he's bound by it." Cara said. "It's our fault."

Sean shook his head. "Chris made his own choice. In any case, do you three expect to do some fighting?"

"Hopefully not," Caleb shrugged, but just in case, we're ready.

"What are you even doing here?"

"Chris is in trouble because of us. We felt we should take some action."

"Like what? Join the army and get killed?"

"If we do die," Nick spoke up, "Chris will be freed…but hopefully that won't happen."

Caleb took over again. "We hope we can get through to Chris somehow."

Sean shook his head. "I don't know. That Demon's Pact sounded serious. Even Zackwell can't break it from what I gathered."

"Well, still…we feel somewhat responsible."

The General said, "We weren't sure what they could do, but if they were involved, they should come along. We gave 'em weapons and taught 'em the basics, but we don't plan on sending them into combat."

Sean looked at the young ones again, his eyes narrowing. There was something in their eyes that he didn't approve, but he could not be sure.

"What the!" a voice called. Sean turned to see Christie and Ben walking over to the jeep. "What are you three doing here?" Christie asked. They explained their story again.

Christie looked at the ground. "Chris…in all the madness, I'd nearly forgotten about him."

"We all feel pretty guilty." Cara said. "He sacrificed his freedom to save us."

"He shouldn't have." Nick spat. "A lot more people will die because of it."

"We don't know that yet." Sean said. "We're going to try and get him back."

"Maybe I can free him like last time." Christie considered. Sean was doubtful.

"Like I told them, the Demon's Pact sounds pretty big. I don't think it will be so easy this time."

"We'll think of something." Cara tried. Not too much comfort.

Christie started at the ground, partly out of sadness, partly out of anger. "Zackwell…that…twisted…soul-stealing…" she couldn't think of a word, so she closed with a shout of frustration. "Just what does he want?"

"Revenge." Sean said simply enough.

"But what about Chris? What does he want with him?"

"I thought you already know." An elderly voice said. All eyes looked up at Nagasil, who walked over to them. "Chris is the perfect combination of powers."

"Yeah, we know." Sean said. "Light and darkness. No weakness an-"

"Not quite what I meant. Light and darkness can be forged together to create a powerful monster, but this is no simple union. Chris is a breed between two _entities_ of darkness and light: Zackwell, the King of Darkness, and Christie, the White-Silver Dragoon. Those are not common forces at all, for Zackwell can create an army at his whim, regenerate, and rule over death. Christie can heal and restore and utilize the greatest brilliance to cleanse the darkest of spirits. Both forces are powerful enough, when combined, these forces become something much more than either original force."

Sean's ears held on to select pieces. "Are you saying that Chris is more powerful than Zackwell?" Everyone wanted to hear that answer.

"In theory, yes. Two entities combined in one body, using the advantages of both powers, the child could overcome both parents, and much else for that matter. I only wonder if he knows this."

Christie spoke up. "Chris knew that he was supposed to be a powerful foe, but I don't know if his thoughts ever carried that far."

Nagasil mused for a minute. "But what of the dark spirit? Surely it must fathom its true abilities."

"I don't care what the dark spirit thinks." Christie spat. "We're going to find a way to eradicate it once and for all."

"To what point?" Nagasil asked.

"To get him back!"

"And have him on our side." Sean added. "You said he can defeat Zackwell."

"But not alone." Nagasil said.

"Elaborate."

"I said that a combination the combination of dark and light entities would be enough to conquer either parent, but without that dark spirit, Chris will just be another powerful force of light."

"Another powerful force would certainly help us." Sean offered.

"But not guarantee victory. Zackwell can still overcome Chris."

"So you think we need to use Z.S. to complete Chris?"

"To make him all he was meant to be."

"He was meant to be a monster." Christie pointed out.

Nagasil gave a strategic grin. "That we can change. As long as Z.S. is in charge and using Chris's powers, he will rule as a monster. However, if we can get Chris to _control_ Z.S., he would be a powerful asset for good."

Sean rubbed his chin. "So if we switch the roles of Chris and Z.S., he'd be on our side, but with more power than we can think."

"But how can we get Chris to control his darker side?" Christie asked.

"I'm afraid I don't know that much." Nagasil shook his head. "But if Chris remains under the influence of his darker side, we may all be in grave danger."

They hadn't thought about that.

"Speaking of danger," Sean said, "I have to see someone. See you guys in a bit."

Ben spoke up, "We'll talk more about the end of the world later!"

* * *

When Norgoth saw Sean coming his way, he figured the human either had a death wish, or was unfathomably foolish.

"Let me guess." The dragon sneered. "You're here to gloat. Something about how you told me so and how now I'm in the same battles you are, and all that. But let me tell you, human, if you say so much as one word on the subject, if I hear one arrogant peep out of you, I swear on my life that I'll-!"

"Thanks for your help today." Sean interrupted. "Your presence really made a difference." He turned and walked away, just like that.

Once more, Norgoth didn't know what to say or think. That always infuriated him. Boiling with anger, the dragon curled up in his secluded spot and tried to sleep it off.

* * *

Sean felt like he had won something back there, though he couldn't be certain. Looking up, he had to smile. Melissa was walking towards him.

"Hey."

"Hey." He responded, kissing her tenderly. It had been too long. "How are you holding up?"

"Well…I'm worried, but…I think being a Dragoon has hardened me."

"That's good. I feel the same. Don't worry. We'll put everything back the way it was."

"I know…I'm just anxious, that's all."

"Ditto. This time, Zackwell is going down for good."

* * *

"I said I'm fine." Christie said again. Ben was no fool.

"We've been together for years, Christie. I know you too well for that line."

"Well what do you expect?" She stopped walking abruptly. "That's our son in there, and we're powerless now!"

"What's with all the negativity, Christie? We've come this far."

"Yeah, but that was the easy part. Zackwell has an army out there."

"So do we."

"My point is that we're more vulnerable now."

"So what? Christie, I know we can't fly or use our powers, but that doesn't make us any less Dragoons. Sean, Rob, Marian, and I have been living witnesses of that. We slid down a mountain and survived a zombie raid for crying out loud! And you survived a Mega-Zombie and Darteth at the same time, didn't you?"

"Yeah…"

"So you're obviously ready for anything, as are the rest of us. Zackwell can't kill us that easily. We'll break into his castle, steal back everything that's ours and it will all be fine."

Christie shook her head. "But what about Chris?"

Ben halted. "Yeesh…nearly forgot about him."

"Well I haven't. I haven't forgotten the look on his face just before he returned to darkness. I haven't forgotten that he's also what we're fighting for. But I haven't come up with a plan to free him yet." She looked at the ground. "Seeing Cara, Caleb, and Nick only further reminded me."

"By that you mean it made the pain worse."

She looked away.

"Told you I know you too well." Ben walked up and wrapped his arms around Christie.

"I just wish I knew what to do."

"So do I, Christie, but you know what? Spontaneity seems to be a strong suit of us Dragoons. We go in, we fight with what we have, and we come out victorious, every time. Am I right?"

"Yeah…"

"So don't worry. We'll find some way to make everything right."

"How do you know?"

"I just do."

* * *

"You all live in the mountains?" Cara asked Dogul, who nodded.

"All."

"Must be boring." Caleb said.

"Always work to do. Keeps busy. Build big muscles too."

"But didn't you ever long for the outside air?"

"Times, yes. However, keeping species alive too important to risk."

"I don't think I could live with that."

"I don't think you'll have to anytime soon." Smurgh said, hovering over to them. "Humans are so populous."

Cara looked at him. "You're a dragon, right?"

"That's right."

"You look like a giant bug." Caleb said. "I mean, you've got the stinger and everything."

"That's my tail."

"Whoops."

"Careful what ya say, kid." General Sanders said, coming over to them. He looked up at Smurgh. "Hey. Smoke Dragon, right?"

"Yep. Name's Smurgh. You the human leader?"

The general chuckled. "In the world of humans, there is no leader."

"I should've guessed."

"But I am the leader of this squadron. Name's General Sanders."

He nodded in recognition, then looked at Dogul. "What about you? Giganto leader?"

"Only in army. True leader is elder, back in mountains. Me Dogul."

"I see."

"What are you doing here, anyway?" Cara asked the dragon.

"I figured I should get to know a few people outside my race. Who are you?"

"Cara. That's Caleb and Nick."

"Nice to meet you."

"You too."

"You all think we can really win tomorrow?" Nick asked.

"Why not?" Smurgh replied.

"Well, Zackwell has many numbers."

"So do we." General Sanders said.

"Well, what if we can't even get through the doors to his palace?"

"Gigantos make new door." Dogul replied.

"What if he starts using his magic?"

"We blast him into oblivion." Smurgh said.

"Huh…well…I guess we're set then."

"As long as the winglies are ready. Hey, speaking of which, where did that wingly leader go to?"

"Don't know." The general said. "I was lookin' for him, but none of the winglies knew where he was. A couple got a little worried."

"Dogul wanted to speak to him too."

"Nagasil can find him in a heartbeat." Smurgh said. "Nothing to worry about. But where would he be besides with his troops?"

* * *

"Hi again." Marian said. Clayton looked down at her, slowly. "How ya doing?"

He just stared at her.

"Uh-huh. Well, we've been pretty good. We're alive, at least."

Still nothing.

"You…not gonna talk to me?"

"You still seek my strength."

"What? Well…yes."

"Have you found your own?" He spoke slowly.

"Well…um…no…"

"Then you will not use mine."

"I'm not even sure what you mean by finding my own strength."

"It's obvious." That voice was different. Marian turned and saw Jenn. "Find what great things you can do without your powers first. Then you will be worthy of using those of a dragon."

Clayton nodded.

"How do you know so much?" Marian asked.

"Because I had to do the same."

"You did?"

"Yeah."

"Hang on a sec." She looked back at Clayton. "I'll find my own somehow. Just you watch!"

Clayton then turned away as Marian walked over to Jenn. "What did you have to do?"

"Nothing new. I also wanted powers, so I'd feel like I was accomplishing something. But then, it turned out I didn't really need them. When Melbu Frahma attacked us, my being human was enough to save us all because Melbu didn't think I was even a threat, so he paid me no mind."

"So being around Dragoons has been pretty rough for you too, huh?"

"You have no idea…well, now you do, but you get the point."

"It's still pretty bizarre, isn't it?"

"You bet. But I'm still amazed how they all got here without thinking it was impossible."

"They're used to it."

"I mean even without their Dragoon Spirits, they can still accomplish so much."

"True. But they have been training for anything since they were, like, fifteen."

"I'm surprised Mike was able to keep it a secret for so long. I'm just glad he told me when he did. I mean at least now I can help him…kind of."

"It's good to be useful." Marian agreed.

* * *

"So are all gigantos as strong as you are?" General Sanders asked Dogul.

"No, but many try. Mountain work helps."

"It must. I gotta go mining some time."

"Hey, Dogul!" Brad called, walking over to him. "You're tall. Have you seen Brittany?"

He shook his head. "No, have not."

"Me neither." The general said.

"Where could she be?"

"I can find her." It was Nagasil.

"Could you, please?"

He nodded and all four of his eyes glowed, and he began looking around. "I can search through minds until I find hers."

"Must be good to be dragon." Dogul said with a nod.

"Must be good to have muscles as big as your head!" Brad said.

Dogul crossed his arms with a grin. "It is."

"Found her." Nagasil said.

"Already?"

"You expected less? She's over in that direction a ways, away from the troops. She's taking a walk by herself."

"Why's that?" Brad asked.

"From what I can read, she needs to clear her head."

"From what?"

"Well, I would find out, but first of all, it is none of my business, and second, you should probably figure it out for yourself."

"Mm. You're probably right. This way?"

"Yes, a ways."

Brad nodded, said his thanks and took off jogging.

"Say, Nagisam-"

"Nagasil."

"Sorry. The general said. "Since you're lookin' for people, you mind findin' that wingly leader? I've been wantin' to talk to 'im."

"Alright." He said. His eyes glowed orange again and he began looking around. He looked over in the same direction Brad had gone. "Funny."

"What is?"

"He's going to Brittany also…but…something isn't right."

"What do you mean?"

"I can sense something in his mind…"

"And what might that be?"

"Desire…deep, dark desire…"

* * *

The moonlight shone a path for Brittany as she walked about. A cool, night breeze was waving her hair and the grass around her. She began concentrating on that. It was really a lovely night. She wished she could enjoy it with Brad. Brad, she needed to talk to him. It was stupid, it felt like nothing…but then again, she felt like she shouldn't keep it from him. Brittany sighed. Life was full of too many tough decisions. What if she did tell Brad? How would he react? He'd be a bit angry, at the least, she knew that. He'd feel uneasy around Cameron. Cameron. She probably needed to talk to him too. But first, Brad.

Then, she heard a rustling in the grass. She turned and saw someone coming towards her.

"Who's there?" She asked, unable to see.

"It's me," A male voice said, "Cameron."

Lovely. Well, whatever.

"Oh, um, hi."

"Hello again." He looked about him. "It's quite a lovely evening, isn't it?"

"Yeah, real beautiful." She tried to avoid eye contact, still uneasy.

"The night can be a dreadful, frightening thing…but then again, it can be wonderful. A full moon can especially bring out the night beauty."

"Uh-huh, sure can." She didn't want to talk too much.

Cameron sighed. "I know that you are still uneasy about that night in the wingly forest."

Brittany did not respond.

"I had no idea that you were married."

"Well, now you do."

"If I had, I never would have just moved in on you like that…I am truly sorry."

"It's nothing. It's behind us now. Just a silly mistake."

"A mistake, yes. Brad is truly a blessed man, to have you as his wife."

Brittany became conflicted. Was that an honest compliment…or another line in disguise?

"Hm…well…thank you."

"I mean it sincerely." Well, she knew that! But then he put his hand on her shoulder. "I really am sorry."

"You're doing it again."

"Oh, I apologize…again. I need to work on that."

"You can't just go about, making moves on anything you like."

"Normally, I do not. You were a rare exception, a special beauty."

Jeez, when would this guy quit?

"Cameron," She groaned, turning to face him. "I know you're trying to make up for that, but you're only making things worse. So…I would appreciate it if you left."

Cameron looked right into her eyes and nodded. "You are right. It was an honest mistake." He kept his gaze. "But you know…you have to admit to yourself one thing."

"And what's that?"

"You liked it."

"What!"

"You weren't fighting me back at all, until the end."

"Well…" Brittany found herself at a loss of words.

"Don't you admit that it was something special for you?"

She said nothing.

"You can't disagree, can you?"

"…I…I…"

"Just admit that you like it and wanted me to continue."

Brittany took a breath. "Okay, okay, I liked it, I wanted you to keep going, but still…I…"

"Then what's the problem?"

"I…Brad…"

"Ah, him. How long has it been since you felt the same affection for him?"

Brittany jumped. "I've always felt that kind of affection for him!"

"Perhaps it has become stale then?"

"No, it hasn't."

Cameron scoffed. "Look me in the eye and say that."

She did. Her mouth froze and the words would not come out. In fact, she wasn't even too sure of them anymore.

"Can you not be honest with yourself?" Cameron continued. "You cannot truly say to yourself that you looked more affectionately at me than your own husband?"

She was shaking now. "Well…well…maybe…"

"Maybe?"

Brittany bit her tongue hard.

"You cannot fight back that feeling, can you? I can see it in your eyes that you are feeling it once more…those beautiful crystalline eyes."

Brittany was breathing heavily. His presence had become mesmerizing…hypnotizing, even. Just looking at him made her…what was it? Want him? She couldn't tell, but…it was a very, very nice feeling…she wanted more of it. Cameron seemed to fulfill that longing by moving closer and closer to her. Brittany did not take one step back.

"Even after what you say, you still want to go back into that wonderful feeling…do you not?"

Brittany's lip quivered.

"All you have to do is say yes, and I will fulfill your wish."

Feelings of desire were building to the boiling point, and about to burst. This incredible flame of want was burning inside of her, making her dizzy, and lightheaded. She was beginning to sweat, and the shaking was still happening. Her stomach was churning and her legs and hands were shaking. She feared she would soon fall. Her jaw was still shaking as well. And there seemed to be only one way to stop it all.

"Yes…" She caved, "Yes I do…"

Cameron's grin grew a bit. "Very well then." He first took her hand in his and it stopped shaking. He brought it up and kissed it. A small smile slipped from Brittany. She kept her gaze fixed on his handsome face, especially his wonderful, cerulean eyes, shimmering in the moonlight. Then, Cameron moved his hand behind her, placing it on the small of her back, making her shiver a bit. Then he put his other hand behind her head. And then, at long last, Cameron leaned to her and planted his lips on hers, in a long, passionate kiss.

Brittany inhaled sharply during it. Everything in her seemed to collapse at once. All the want and desire was being completed in this moment, as she kept his kiss, and kissed him back. She put her arms around his neck and continued it. Soon, he parted and looked at her with a smile.

"Wasn't that everything you wanted?"

She was short on breath, but answered, "Yes…everything…more." This time, she moved in and began the kiss, but Cameron was sure to answer it. They kept this up, their heated string of lip-locks, and their sense of time was lost in the sea of desire.

Finally, Brad, who had been watching, could take no more. With a tear falling from his cheek, he turned away and took off. Neither of them heard him at all, much less cared.

But Cameron wasn't finished. He drew his lips back and then moved down and kissed her neck. She craned it back, looking straight up, opening every last inch of the skin to him, and he was sure to get every aspect. He continued his trail of kisses all along her throat and then moved to the side of her neck, under her ear. She moved her head back down and breathed it all in. She opened her eyes, overlooking his shoulder, through his smooth, fine, silver hair. She stroked her hands through it as he began to nibble lightly at her earlobe. Then, the flame of desire was suddenly, and without warning, extinguished.

"NO!" She exclaimed, jumping back from him, taking Cameron by complete surprise. Brittany scanned over what she had just done. "I…I won't! I love Brad! You know that!"  
"Do you?" He asked, looking right at her. "You seemed to enjoy it quite well." Once more, Brittany felt the flame build up. She began questioning why she had pulled back, when she had been enjoying it so. He put his hands on her again. "You cannot deny how much you want this…how you long for it."

He moved in and kissed her once more. Brittany closed her eyes and enjoyed it…then…rejected it! She yanked back again. "Stop it!"

"Why should I?"

"Because I am married!"

"An obstacle easily overcome. Forget about him, forget about ever knowing him."

Brittany shook her had. "No…"

"You cannot fight this feeling. You want more of it…you must have more…" She grew dreamy once more as he spoke to her. "Just realized and enjoy what you have now." Brittany was once again lost in his eyes. Then, she had an epiphany. She fought her desire and looked over his shoulder, instead of right at him and then she felt nothing. That was it.

He put his hands on her waist again. "Now…let's enjoy it."

She trembled, then shook her head. "Don't touch me!" Then, Brittany clenched her fist and swung it, bashing the left side of his face and knocking him to the ground. Then she ran off before he could trick her again.

Cameron rubbed his left eye. So, even after that, she still loved her husband. She was stronger than he thought.

* * *

Brad sat on a rock in the woods, his tears falling into the stream below him. He wiped away those that remained. How could this have happened? His beloved Brittany…there with that man. He'd only been gone for a little while, and she…she had found someone else. He still couldn't believe it, though he had seen it with his own eyes. Why? Why had she suddenly…turned away from him? How had it come to that? Did she just…not love him anymore?

Brad then heard someone coming through the trees. He turned and saw Cameron come out of them. Great, the one person he didn't want to see. Brad turned away.

"What do you want?"

"Are you alright?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe I'm not. Maybe I just had a bad day all of a sudden. Perhaps, just perhaps, I found out my wife is cheating on me!"

Cameron shot him a surprised look. "You saw!"

"Heck yes, I saw! And you had better get the heck out of here before I break your neck!"

"How much did you see?"

"ENOUGH! Now GO!"

"Listen to me. It was not Brittany's fault, do not blame her."

"It's noble of you to try and protect her, but I could see clearly. She didn't fight back at all. She wanted it!"

"She had no choice but to want it!"

"No choice! I didn't hear you threaten her in any way!"

"I would not let her think any other way!"

"What does that mean!"

"It means I was controlling her!"

Brad froze. "What did you say!"

Cameron sighed. "I used a bewitchment spell to control her, unravel desires she didn't know she had. I made her want me more than you."

Brad couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You…put a spell on her!"

"To cancel her love for you, yes. But still, she was able to break free somehow." He pointed to his eye. "She made it quite clear that she knew I was tricking her. You see, even in the heat of desire, she still was able to choose you. She still loves you, more than you know. Do not blame her for crimes she did not commit."

Brad clenched his fist, and his face burned with anger. "Why are you telling me this! You know I'm about to kill you."

"Two reasons. One, I do not want you thinking badly of Brittany when she does not deserve it. She is a remarkable woman."

"And the second reason?"

"Well, I figure, who are you going to tell?"

Brad shot him a look. "What does that mean?"

Cameron shot a hand forward and an invisible wave shot Brad back. He hit the water and his Thunder Claws activated, filling the water with electricity. Brad twitched and thrashed in the water, but then came to a halt and floated to the top.

Cameron smiled. "That was much easier than I had anticipated."

* * *

"We should really turn in for tonight." Ben said with a yawn.

"I agree." Sean said.

"Even gigantos need sleep." Dogul agreed.

"Early to bed, early to rise…" Nagasil furthered.

"But we're still missing two people." Christie said. "Where are Brad and Brittany?"

"Probably on their own romantic adventure." Mike said.

"I don't think so." Melissa said.

"Why not?"

"Because here comes Brittany." They looked and saw her coming up to them.

"Hey, Brit." Rob said. "Where ya been?"

She did not answer. Her face was dreary and pale.

"Brittany?" Sean said, "What's wrong?"

She shook her head. "I can't say. Where's Brad?"

"Don't know. We thought he was with you."

"I have to find him."

"I will find him." Nagasil said. She looked up at him, at his eyes. She knew that he knew. "He needs to know."

"Could you look for Lord Cameron as well?" A wingly asked. "No one knows where he is." Nagasil looked at Brittany, and then nodded. "I will find him too."

"No need." A voice said. "I am right here." Everyone turned to find Cameron walk up to them, around the fire.

"Where have you been?" Ben asked.

"Out and about."

"Lord Cameron! Your eye!" A wingly said. Cameron felt his left eye, which was turning black now.

"Yes, I hit it."

"On what?"

"What does it matter?" Cameron asked, glancing at Brittany. "It is nothing." She looked away.

"Nagasil, could you please look for Brad now?"

"I will." He said. His eyes glowed as he searched around. He scanned left and right for a moment, then stopped. "This troubles me."

"What does?" Brittany asked. "Where is he!"

"That is what's troubling. I cannot find him."

"What!"

"How?" Sean asked. "I thought you could find anything?"

"I search for brain waves. I cannot find his. That means one of two things. One, some very powerful magic is blocking my sight, or…he is dead."

That rose more than one voice.

"Dead…?" Brittany said, shocked.

"Now, wait." Mike said, "We don't know that yet."

"He can't be dead!" Jenn said, shocked.

"Thunder Fist cannot die!" Dogul said.

While this was going on, Nagasil still concentrated. Then, all four of his eyes shot open. She turned and shot a hard, dark glare at Cameron.

"What are you looking at me for!"

Nagasil snarled and growled at him with a furious glare.

"Nagasil, what are you doing!" Sean asked.

"Ira!" Nagasil said, putting an image into her head. "GO! NOW!" She was at the woods faster than anyone could blink.

"Nagasil," Ben said, "What's going on?"

"Brad was pushed into a stream."

"What's so bad about that?"

"He still had his Thunder Claws on."

Everyone froze. They all knew what an electrical reaction like that would do.

Brittany covered her mouth in horror.

"Cameron was the one to push him in." All eyes turned to him.

Brittany glared furiously. "YOU!"

Before she could tear him apart, Dogul picked Cameron off the ground by his tunic and held him to his face and said in a deep, angry voice. "Thunder Fist was Dogul's friend." He held up his axe.

"And mine." Mike said, coming up to him. "If he really is dead, I'm not just going to kill you. I'm going to make you wish you never existed!"

_BOOOOMMM!_ All eyes turned to the sound of the explosion, which had come from the direction that Ira had just gone to.

"Cameron gone!" Dogul exclaimed. They all saw that he was no longer in his grip.

"He must've teleported!" A wingly said. "That cowardly scum!"

"We have no time for that!" Nagasil said. "We must assist Ira! Zackwell has come!"

"WHAT!" The Dragoons shouted.

"Hop on!" All the Dragoons did. "All other Dragons, stay here unless I call you!"

But then, they saw a winged figure tear across the sky.

"Where's he going?" Sean asked.

"Norgoth may loathe all other races, but he is exceedingly loyal to dragons. He will come to the aid of any of us. Let's follow him." Nagasil flapped his wings and took off.

"Alpha squad!" General Sanders hollered into the radio, "Get the choppers ready! Let's-"

"No!" Nagasil shouted in his head. "Wait for my signal!"

The general looked up as he flew off, then sighed and said into the radio, "Cancel that. Everybody stay here, but be ready. We move at my signal."

Dogul said to a bunch of gigantos. "You be ready too. If Nagasil say go, we go!"

"But for now," The general said, "We wait."

* * *

Ira had appeared at Brad's body before Nagasil's echo could finish ringing. There he lay in the water, lifeless. Acting quickly, Ira scooped him out of the water and started with her magic. Hopefully, he had not been here too long. They were frighteningly close to Mayfil…

Looking up, Ira saw a soul coming towards her. Thank goodness. She let it hover above Brad's body, waiting. She had to restore the body before the soul could-

_BOOOOMMM!_

Ira was thrown through a set of trees like a toy. Shaking herself off, Ira looked up to see her attacker. She'd never seen him before, but in her heart, she knew who it was.

"So you're the reason I'm starting to lose critical souls!" Zackwell sneered. "I won't lose this battle to the likes of you, Dragon!"

Ira hissed at Zackwell and fired a white ray from her mouth. Zackwell took the hit with a laugh and countered with a dark ray, burning Ira's side. She gritted her teeth and swung her tail as Zackwell flew to her. Zackwell maneuvered around it and sliced Ira's flank.

Ira roared and fired a white blast to knock Zackwell away, but he retaliated with one of his own, doing more damage to her than she had done to him. He reeled back, ready to charge again, but suddenly, a much bigger, deadlier dragon landed between them and let out a great roar.

Zackwell stopped in his tracks and looked up at Norgoth. "A challenge." He mused. Zackwell scraped his chest with his nails and lathered the blood onto his scythe. He tossed the weapon into the air and it sparked to life, landing in the form of the infamous Skull Demon.

The two beasts roared at each other and struck in unison.

Meanwhile, Zackwell turned back to Brad's soul, which still hovered about his body. He lifted his scythe to shred it, but an arrow suddenly struck his shoulder.

"AH!" He looked up at his attacker and saw the Dragoons jumping down from Nagasil's back. "Dragoons." He said with a smirk. "How nice to see you after so long an absence."

"It wasn't long enough." Sean said, charging. Their blades clashed. Six Dragoons fought against Zackwell while Brittany ran to Brad's fallen body, horror-ridden.

"It's alright." Ira said coming back to the body. "His soul is in our possession. Just give me a moment to restore his body." She shone her light upon the man, healing him as quickly as possible. Zackwell could be back at any second. "Good! He's ready. Now just put his soul back in his body." She let Brittany do the honors.

Brittany gently took the soul and lowered it. But with a suddenly flash, a figure appeared, grabbed the soul, and teleported away. The figure reappeared next to Zackwell and offered the soul to him.

"CAMERON!" Brittany shouted.

Zackwell stared perplexed, but gladly accepted it. "Why thank you!" He raised his scythe.

Blam! Zackwell shot back from a blast hitting him. He looked over at Norgoth, who was firing rapid black blasts. Then the Skull Demon jumped onto him again, digging in with tooth and claw. But Norgoth kept going at it, firing rapid beams. Zackwell began ignoring the blasts, just letting them hit him. He slowly raised his scythe again and then, another wingly shot by at light speed, and Zackwell stared at his empty hand. The light spun around and stopped right at Brittany, holding the soul out at her.

"What the!" Cameron exclaimed. The wingly looked up at him. He glared and shot right at her. She held a hand up and Cameron was frozen in mid-air. "What is this! Who the devil are you!"

"My name is Caron, and I'll be your executioner. Goodbye." She swung her hand and a red ray tore through him and Cameron fell to the ground. "Now, quickly!" Caron told Brittany.

"NO!" Zackwell roared, shooting at her. Norgoth then smacked him back. The Skull Demon was still on him, though. Finally, Norgoth smacked him with his tail, knocking him over his head. The Demon got back up and Norgoth held him back with his claws. Then, finally, he grabbed the Skull Demon's head in his jaws and closed down and the bony head crushed in his mouth and the demon dissipated.

Then, he swung at Zackwell, knocking him away. Zackwell got back up and his blade glowed blue.

"SOUL STRIKE!" He shot forward, right through Norgoth. But the dragon turned around and grabbed Zackwell in his jaws and chomped him in half. All was silent as Norgoth breathed heavily, legs shaking. He was bleeding from many, many wounds. Then he coughed and blood splattered out and then he fell onto his side.

"Brittany!" Ira said, "Put his soul in now!"

She quickly did so. The soul easily slid in and Brad began breathing again. Then he cried out and thrashed around, then shot straight up, breathing heavily. He looked over at Brittany.

"What…happened?"

Her lip quivered, and she threw her arms around him, bawling her eyes out.

Sean looked over at Caron. "What are you doing here?"

She put her fingers in her mouth and whistled. Then, a ton more winglies appeared all around them.

She smiled. "We've come to fight."

Sean was a little stunned, but grateful. "Thanks…it'll help a ton. But…how did you know about all this?"

"We've been keeping an eye out for you all. When we saw what was happening, we wanted to help, but knew we were too weak. But when we saw the armies you had gathered, our forces decided to aid you further."

"Well thanks again." Sean said. "This will further our chances of victory."

She nodded. "So who exactly are your friends?" Sean quickly introduced everyone. Then, Clayton flew over to them and landed next to Norgoth. Nagasil and Ira moved him onto Clayton's back and he flew him away.

"Let us leave." Nagasil said, lowering his head so the other Dragoons could get on. Then he looked over at Brad.

"We'll join you all later." Brad said.

Nagasil nodded and he left, as did the winglies.

Brittany couldn't stop crying.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She wept.

Brad held her. "It's okay, it's okay."

"No, it's not. I…I…Cameron and I…"

"I know. I saw you guys."

"You…did?"

"Yes, I did."

"Brad, it wasn't how it looked,"

"I know, I know, he told me…before he attacked."

"He did?"

"Yeah. He said that he was using a bewitchment spell on you."

"Yes, exactly. I…couldn't…"

"Brittany, it's okay. I know." She embraced him again, crying into his chest.

* * *

General Sanders paced back and forth, waiting anxiously, smoking up a storm. They could hear a lot of roaring and commotion, but couldn't know what was happening. After a little while, Clayton suddenly jumped up and flew over to them. Soon after, they all came back. Clayton was carrying something, and took it away from the troops, followed by Ira. Nagasil landed and let the Dragoons off.

"What happened!" The general exclaimed.

"Brad's fine." Sean said. "Ira revived him."

Dogul sighed in relief. "Dogul is happy to hear."

"Me too." The general said, then he saw the other winglies. "Who are they?" Then he saw Caron. "And who is she?"

"General," Sean said, "This is Caron, the leader of the Ularian winglies."

General Sanders gave him a quizzical look. "I thought they were wiped out."

"Not all of us." Caron said. "Several of us fled to safety. We've come to help you fight."

"In that case you're welcome. We are the ultimate strike force. I lead the humans, Dogul there leads the gigantos, Nagasil leads the dragons, and that son of a gun, Cameron leads the winglies. Say, what happened to him?"

"He is dead."

"Dead!" Winglies exclaimed. Questions arose.

"What do we do now?"

"Who will lead us?"

"If you let me," Caron told them all, "I will." She floated up. "My name is Caron, I am the leader of the winglies of Ulara. I will tell you now, Cameron was not a noble man. He was willing go to all lengths to get what he wanted, even killing a Dragoon. Let our two cities merge as one, a strong wingly force. Let me lead you on. Join my forces." The winglies looked around at each other, but none seemed to disagree.

"Say," The general said to Sean. "Where are Brad and Brittany?"

"They said they needed some time alone."

"They did." Nagasil said, "Trust me."

"Alright. What about that dragon on the big dragon's back?"

"Norgoth. He will be fine. Ira is tending to him as we speak."

"Skull Demon." Sean said. "Wait until you see the upgrade."

"We will still take care of it." Nagasil pointed out.

"'Course ya can!" General Sanders said. "You're Dragons!"

"The combined forces of all eight dragons were defeated by the upgrade." Sean told them all. There was a brief silence before the general spoke again.

"Well, we have thirteen now."

Sean gave him that one.

* * *

"Ngh!" Norgoth cringed.

"Hold still." Ira said.

"It burns!" He protested, digging his nails into the ground. Ira had been trying to heal him, but Norgoth was a dark element, and though her magic was curing him, the white properties of it felt to him like acid.

"Well, it's for your own good."

"Why is that always the case? Rgh!" Ira placed her claw over yet another wound. He had several of them all over his body from the quick, vicious attacks of the Skull Demon. That monster had been very fast, and its attacks could pierce deep. Luckily, Norgoth's scaly body protected him, but still, he couldn't walk away from the battlefield without suffering.

"Ahem."

Norgoth looked up to see Sean in front of him. Yet another encounter with this human…

"What do you want?" Norgoth cringed at another healing. "Can you not see that I am busy?"

"I'll be brief." Sean promised. "I just wanted to thank you for your help back there."

"I didn't come to help you. I came to help Ira."

"But you _did_ help us, whether you meant to or not. Even so, you saved Brad's soul from destruction. Why'd you do that?"

Norgoth didn't respond for a moment. He didn't seem to know. Sean gave it a whirl.

"Perhaps because even though you despise humans, you still trust dragons. And if one dragon could trust him, perhaps you could. Is that it?"

Again, Norgoth didn't answer.

"Whatever the reason," Sean wrapped it up, "Thanks." He turned and walked away. "Rest up. Tomorrow, things are going to get very ugly."

Norgoth moved his head a little. "Let's hope you can keep up."

Sean gave a smirk and left.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Kind of a long chapter...well, I guess it makes up for my month-long haitus. Sorry about the wait, everyone. New job's been killing for hours. Luckily, I'm goingvacationing inTexas the 9th-16th, so that will give me tons of time to write the next chapters and have them ready for uploading at a moment's notice. Probably lots of errors and mishaps in this chapter, too, and I'm sorry, but I haven't had much time to work and I wanted to get this chap in for you guys before I left, cuz I can't upload from the vacation spot.

Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, though. Please review.


	23. The Battle of the AgesPart 1

Chapter Twenty-Three: The Battle of the Ages-Part 1

Sean's eyes fluttered open. It was morning. Many soldiers were already up and about. Sean yawned, stretched, and got up. He put on the scabbard containing the Claymore, his dagger, the Dragon Buster, and his items. Today was the day. Once everyone got up and ready, they would march to Mayfil.

The general was already up, of course, getting everybody ready.

"What time is it?" Sean asked.

"It is approximately 0822 hours."

"Alright. I'm gonna go wake up the other Dragoons."

"Already up." Melissa said behind him.

"Oh, hey."

"Hey. Morning, general."

"Good morning. Today's the big day. Today, we march to Mayfil."

"Yeah." She said, still a little nervous. Then she saw the cigar in his mouth. "You know, those will kill you."

"Listen, I've heard all the anti-smoking bits. And let me tell you now, smoking is the only thing keeping me steady on the gun."

Then, Melissa swung her rapier up, cutting through the cigar up to his mouth. "Now that was an ugly thing to do."

"I'm never pretty in the morning."

Sean laughed. "It's true." Melissa glared at him.

Sean looked at the general. "Did I say that too loudly?"

0100 hours. The sky was overcast, but no rain fell. The land was barren, but not too hot. The dragons and choppers flew slowly above the rest. Everybody else walked, even the winglies, who did so to conserve their energy. No one spoke, keeping their minds focused on their goal ahead. None really knew how to get to the Dragoon Spirits or Eric, but from what they knew, Zackwell had a castle now. But what else was there?

But at this hour of the day, they found out. They came up atop a hill and it came into view. It was still a ways away, but now, they had an idea of what they were up against. Mayfil had expanded greatly. There were very tall, thick, black walls all around it. This city itself seemed to almost glow with a black aura. And above everything, they could see the castle, sticking up into the dark clouds. "

Mayfil." Sean said. Everyone stopped. They needed a plan now. First objective: How to get through the walls? There was a gate facing them, but the didn't mean it would be easy to get in. "Nagasil, how does it look?"

"Not good. According to the zombie's minds, that gate and those walls have been infused with great defensive power to block out practically anything."

"Can we break through it?"

"Yes, but it would take a lot of power and ammunition. By the time we get in, we'll be wiped out. Plus, they can fire at us from that gate once we get closer."

"So we have to find another way to open it."

"Exactly. I propose that someone go in there and open it."

"What? How do we go about that?"

"Many winglies here have cloaking magic. We get someone experienced to fly over the gate and open it. It is much more vulnerable in there and opens outward."

"Why don't they just teleport there, open it, and teleport back?" "There's a teleportation barrier surrounding the city." "Great, well, why don't you just control someone already in there to open it?"

"Zackwell has launched an order. Anyone seen under my control is to be instantly killed."

"Why not control a whole group?"

"Zackwell himself can wipe them all out. That is why someone must go over the gate and do it."

"But who can do that without being seen by, oh, I don't know, Zackwell!"

"I volunteer." Caron said. Sean looked at her. "You sure you can do it?"

"Positive. Zackwell won't know what hit him. Besides, he'll be too busy worrying about what you guys are doing."

He nodded. "Alright." He quickly explained the plan to everyone. Then he looked back at Caron. "Ready?" She nodded. "Then go for it…and be careful."

"No problem." Then she vanished.

Caron was glad she was invisible to them, so they couldn't see how worried she really was. Would this really work? There was only one way to find out. But if something should happen, everyone would be too far away to help her. Teleportation, that's what she'd do in a tight situation. She'd teleport back to everyone. That would work.

Caron flew towards the black gate carefully, still nervous that something might see her. So…why wasn't she moving faster! She ignored that nagging voice in her head and reached the door. Then, she began to fly upward, still slowly. None of the guards atop seemed to notice. They were all staring at the army, waiting to strike. Finally, she reached the top. She flew into view of the whole city, and Darteth jumped up over the wall and slammed his fist into her stomach.

Caron gasped in vain and her cloak disappeared. Darteth kept his fist where it was as his opponent fell to the ground. Only seconds before hitting it, she regained her thoughts and teleported away. Darteth spread his wings to catch himself, then Caron tackled him, driving him into the ground. Darteth jumped back up and shoved her off and she hit the ground awkwardly. She was already hurt from that first attack, and having difficulty breathing properly. Darteth turned to her and drew his sword. Caron brandished her spear. Both enemies lunged at each other and their blades clashed together. Darteth swung three times, but Caron blocked every one. Then she spun around and Darteth ducked under the halberd and Caron swung down, pressing his blade back, but he pushed back and she backflipped in the air and landed back on her feet.

Darteth struck and Caron defended, so he swung his blade up, sending a black wave to knock her away. She caught herself, but Darteth was already there. He punched her face, then rammed her gut with his knee and punched her high into the sky and kicked her into the door. She landed on a knee and began using the wall as a support to stand again.

"Thought I couldn't see you, didn't you?" Darteth chuckled. "These eyes don't fail me."

"Then I'll have to blind them." Caron said with a grin. She fired a beam and Darteth caught it with his blade and fired it back. Caron kicked off the wall and swung down, slashing his chest. He ignored the pain and parried her next move and struck back. Caron flipped back to avoid it and then thrust her weapon forward and Darteth did the same. A ray came from both, but they collided and cancelled each other out. They both ran at each other at full speed and swung their blades, but parried each other, sending each other back a few feet.

Caron then decided she should get back to trying to open the door. She tried flying up, but Darteth was on her tail. She blocked a slash and kicked him away. Darteth was quickly level with her again, though. He wrapped his arms around her and tried to pull her down. She kept flying up, thought, despite the extra weight. He pulled hard on her neck, choking her, but she gave it all to ignore it. Then, Darteth bit down on her neck with his sharp teeth. She wailed and lost control and began to fall back down. Darteth only tightened his grip on her. Finally, she created a violet, electrical field around her, shocking Darteth and forcing his grip to slip. She began to fly up again, but he grabbed her ankle and rammed a knife into it. She cried out and he flipped up and kicked her head. Then he swung a powerful punch to knock her back to the ground.

She pushed herself onto all fours and heard Nagasil's voice in her head.

_Caron! Are you alright? Just think your response and I'll see it._

_T__ell everyone to start charging. I'm going to blow this door open._

_Are you sure? Do you believe you can do it by the time we get there?_

_Yes. I'll do it, now give the order!_

_I__will._

Darteth suddenly landed on her back and raised up his sword. Caron teleported away from him and reappeared higher up and kept going in that direction to open the door. Darteth quickly went after her. Caron turned and saw that the army still needed a bit. She fired several beams down at Darteth, then blasted all the guards off the top of the gate and landed on it. Darteth landed next to her and swiped at her, but she dodged him, catching another glimpse at the army. Just a bit more. Darteth kicked her down and stabbed at her, but she moved away and kicked his gut. Now was her chance. She flew to the other side of the gate at the middle and held her hands together. Tremendous power swelled between them, and a light blue ball formed between them. She thrust her hands out and a beam shot from them, clashing with the doors, blasting them open and out, breaking them down. It was just in time. Here they came.

She looked up just in time to dodge Darteth's attack, and then block another. It appeared they weren't through.

The rest of the army ran in full attack, as did many, many, zombies. They came together and the ultimate battle began.

* * *

So many lives were lost that day. There were casualties on both sides, for all races. But each on of them was proud to give his or her life for the cause.

* * *

Mike jumped off a rock and landed in a zombie hoard with his axe down. He killed a couple, and the elemental powers of his axe shook the earth, sending a wave through all the zombies around them. He gripped the axe at the very end and swung down onto a zombie, and kicked off another to flip over it and tackle another. Then he spun around, smacking away many more, then put his axe in the ground and jumped up and kicked two more down. He parried two blades and shot two punches behind him and slammed his axe into yet another. Mike swung up and knocked a zombie far away, them turned and chopped another and another quickly before he spun again.

Christie once more began with arrows. She fired rounds of two arrows at a time, killing a bunch, then ducked under a blade and stabbed two more with an arrow before firing it at another. Christie took three arrows out, one between each finger and slashed the face of a zombie, then stabbed the head of another and another. She spun low to trip a zombie, then swung up to slice through its face. Then she fired those arrows one at a time to kill three more.

Ben jumped horizontally and spun that way to slam his flaming blade onto a zombie's head, then swung it up again through another. He spun low to cut through three zombie's torsos, then jumped up and kicked a zombie into the spear behind him, knocking them all over. He swiped to his right, then to his left, killing many more then swung in the air twice and launched a flaming wave. A zombie swung a sword at him and Ben blocked, then block again and stabbed his stomach and shoved him away in time to cut off two more heads before stabbing a fourth.

Robert struck a zombie in the heart, then ducked under a blade and stabbed a stomach. Then he got up, swinging his spear upward as well to cut through another zombie, then swung it over his head to stab into one of a zombie and then kick away another. Robert swung his spear down onto the opposite side of him and then jumped up, spinning the spear round, and swung it left, right, up, down, then jumping up and striking one down. Robert swung low with his foot out to trip a zombie, then planted his spear in it and flipped over it to land on another and then flip right back to cut through three more with a single strike.

Jenn struck two zombies in the stomach and tore them upward through their heads and ducked under a sword and spun away to avoid a spear. Then she stabbed the stomach of the sword-wielder behind her and stood and stabbed the other in the head. When a zombie tried punching her, she leaned back and struck up to stab its head and then jumped up and kicked off it, flipping back and turning to cut though another.

Brittany smacked two down at once with a single spinning attack, then thrust the end of her mallet into stomach of one behind her before spinning back around to give it the full impact. Brittany spun the hammer in two full upward circles to knock two more away. A zombie stabbed at her with its spear and she placed the top of her mallet on the ground and jumped up to avoid it. She landed back on it and jumped off, catching its jaw with her foot and flipping back to stomp on another, then turn and smack away one more.

Sean swung up to cut through a zombie's head, then left to cut through another, then right, then down again and stabbed a fifth. Sean then cut through two heads with one quick stroke and then kicked another away, then stabbed a fourth and pulled back quickly to bash a face with his elbow before turning to cut through it, then shooting right back up through yet another. Sean jumped up and kicked off a zombie's chest and kicked off anther, then swung his foot around to strike the head of another.

Marian swung low, cutting through many legs, then kept spinning as she worked her way up through many bodies before she stabbed three more. A zombie swung an axe at her, but she just jumped horizontally to spin and cut through its head, then stab a stomach and yank it out the side to slice through two more. Marian stepped forward and made a long stab, then lifted her spear up to the sky and when one got close, she spun around, cutting its head, then again and again and again.

Brad jumped up and kicked off a chest, then another and spun his leg around to catch both of their heads, plus that of another. When he landed he gave four quick, but tough punches to the enemies coming around him. Brad leaned back on one foot, the other up and curled. An enemy got to close and he shot the leg out like a bullet, striking the neck, then struck another and then turned to his other foot and struck down two more the same way. Brad punch a zombie's chest and then jumped up, backflipping and knocking him back, and then landed on other and jumped up, and thrust his legs out to kick down two more.

Melissa stabbed a zombie in the heart, then tore it out upward and brought it down through the head of another, then tore it out the side to slice through the one next to it, then tore it out again to stab the one coming up her left, then took a step forward and stabbed, then jumped up to avoid a spear, bringing the blade up as well, and sliced back through a head when she landed. She sliced an arm off quickly, then its head and kicked down another and stabbed another face, then tore it out the side and sliced through another throat.

Dogul made one simple swing and knocked away five zombies, then swung back to knock away five more. But then he concentrated on the bigger foes. He ran up to an unaware Mega-Zombie and sliced his head right off, then went to another and chopped off a leg so it fell over, then decapitated him. A Mega-Zombie ran at him and swung his sword down. Dogul held up his axe to block, but was being pushed back slowly. Then another came with a spear outward, while Dogul couldn't defend. Quickly, he slid to the side and the one he was blocking fell forward and took the stab. Then Dogul slammed his axe into the other Mega-Zombie's stomach.

General Sanders was having much fun, slicing through the zombies with this broadsword. He smashed his fist into a zombie's face, then kicked one in the stomach so that he lurched over and then punched upward. A zombie swung a sword at him, but he blocked and stabbed it, then did the same to another. He grabbed a knife from his side and stabbed a head, then another, then sliced it through a zombie's throat before jumping up and kicking one back, toppling over many others.

Nagasil concentrated his mental power on controlling a Virage and made it blast several zombies before being killed by another virage. All four of his eyes glowed and a green wave soared through his enemies. They all clutched their heads, wailing in pain before they slumped over dead. A virage concentrated its beam on Ira and just as it fired, she disappeared. Actually, she just sped off, then ran back and slammed it with her tail, causing it to run into another virage. Then she fired a white beam from her mouth, killing them both. A virage swiped at Norgoth, but it glanced off him. The dragon sliced through its head with the blades on his arm. Then he spotted a Super Virage and swooped low to picked it up, then drop it at a high altitude among other zombies and such and fired a death ray, causing it to self-destruct and kill its companions.

No weapon could pierce Clayton's tough shell. They struck at him, but he just kept knocking them away with his arms and tail. Then, a Virage began powering up its beam. Clayton lifted his wings up and fired a barrage of missiles at it and its other enemies. Smurgh simply swooped low, spreading his poisonous fumes. The zombies and regular virages choked and fell dead to the ground, but the others stayed. Smurgh flew low to slice through a few Mega Zombies with his sickle arms, then stabbed a virage in the eye with his stinger tail.

No one could really tell who was winning. Zombies were dying left and right, but the less experienced and not so powerful were killed as well. Still, they couldn't stop, no matter the casualty amount.

Marian had to act fast now, because the zombies were closing in. She stabbed a heart, then swung back and accidentally stabbed anther with the spike atop her halberd, then pulled back and chopped a head off with the crescent blade. A sword lunged at her, but she snagged it with the halberd and flung it out, swinging the blade over her head and slamming the spike into a zombie's.

Marian spun again and her blade connected with Roberts.

"Hi!"

"You're doing well!" He smiled.

"Thanks. LOOK OUT!"

Robert spun and found and saw two zombies strike him at once. He held up his spear to block, but they kept pressing against him. One more joined them and pushed Robert back. Then, Marian pressed her weapon against them with Robert. More zombies joined them, slowly pushing them backwards.

Marian became angry. Magical power swelled about her as her wings sprouted from her back. Robert saw the energy swirling like he'd never seen her do before. With a furious cry, Marian shoved her halberd forward, knocking back all the zombies pressing against them in a fiery wave. Their bodies burned.

Robert whistled. "You've been practicing."

"A little." She pointed her halberd and a beam sliced through two oncoming zombies, then she turned and fried three more with a fiery spell.

"Dang!" Rob laughed. "You've become as deadly as a real Dragoon!"

That's when it struck her. "I did it!"

"Did what?" "Explain later!" Marian got back to fighting hand-to-hand, a smirk on her face. Looks like she had some strength of her own after all.

* * *

Brad ducked under a swinging blade, then moved away from a spear, then punched the swordsman down and kicked away the spear-wielder. He jumped and swung a spinning kick, then landed on one foot and kicked another down. Brad felt something bump against him, so he spun around, swinging his fist, connecting with that of the general. They both flinched from the impact, then remembered what they were doing and got back to fighting.

"Cover me!" The general commanded. Brad did so, fighting a whole pack on his own. He kicked off one, then another and struck one down with the heel of his foot before swinging four more punches, knocking out four more zombies. The general finished loading his Uzi and began firing.

"Now you cover me!" Brad said.

"Duck!" He did so and began grinding his knuckles together as the general fired round after round of bullets into the zombies. When he halted, Brad stood again and punched two zombies away, then gathered all the electricity he'd built up and fired it. An electrical wave shot through the crowd, blasting away a huge clearing.

"Having fun so far?" Brad asked.

"You bet." He fired at the on comers, fanning left and right, but the zombies were resilient. The general put he gun away and returned to his sword. "Get ready, cuz here they come!"

"I'm always ready." Brad said, fists clenched.

* * *

Ben rammed his blade into a zombie's stomach and a flame burned through a line of them, then he swung it sideways and a wave of fire charred several more. He parried a sword and kicked another zombie down before slamming through the original. An axe-wielder swung at him and Ben ducked, then dodged and couldn't avoid the kick, knocking him down. But before the zombie could kill him, Sean sliced through its head.

"Why am I always saving your butt?"

"Oh, you know," Ben said, standing, "Just making sure that you're really keeping an eye on us all."

Sean chuckled and got back to fighting, slicing off three heads, then stabbing another. He kept the blade in place and kicked a zombie away then tore out the side to kill another. Ben stabbed a torso then jumped up and backflipped and brought the blade down through another zombie's head. Next, he sliced one off and then swung his blade upward and a red wave singed through them.

"Getting tired?" Ben asked.

"Sorta. You?"

"Very." He pulled a Healing Breeze out and threw it on the ground, shattering the glass and releasing the restoring wind. Their wounds healed before them and their fatigue vanished almost entirely. Ben brought his Heat Blade back and swung horizontally and a red, burning wave shot through the crowd, leaving only ashes behind. Sean pulled a Burning Wave out and tossed it. A flaming ring surrounded a large zombie group and fire swarmed through them all.

* * *

Meanwhile, Caron and Darteth were still going at it. Darteth swung his sword and a red ray shot at Caron, who moved away and fired her own white ray. He deflected it with his blade and flew at her. Their swords collided and Caron swung lower. Darteth blocked, then blocked another before swinging a punch at her face, then kicking her away. She flew away and wiped the blood from her mouth, trying to catch her breath.

"Wearing out? Give up! I don't know fatigue!" He fired a red ray. She put her hand up to block it with a magical shield. She used a curing spell on herself to restore some strength, then shot at Darteth at full speed. Still, he was able to block and back flip, catching her face with his foot and stabbing at her. She moved away and bashed his face with her elbow, then spun, kicking his head.

"And I don't know how to quit."

* * *

Disaster and miracles can happen at the same time, as the Dragoons discovered later in the battle. They were hacking through zombies, but still not enough. It would take forever just to get to the castle, and who knew what was in there! But the odds of the alliance would suddenly shift in their favor.

Clayton swung his head to smack away a Mega-Zombie, then knocked one away with his claw. But then, something new came along. It had a smaller body, seemingly stuck into a much larger one. Melbu Frahma, transformed into his more powerful self, merged with the Virage Embryo. Clayton swung his tail at him, but Melbu blocked with his giant hand. Clayton pulled his tail back and lifted his wings, firing his missile barrage. Melbu put up a magic shield, blocking all missiles. Then he put his hands together and a symbol glowed on his head. A white beam gathered in his hands and he reeled back and fired. Even the mighty shell of the Steel Dragon could not defend against it, and the beam tore through his body. Clayton roared in anguish as the beam ripped out behind him. What was left of his body fell over in a heap, his wings descended and his head hit the ground. He was dead.

The other Dragons turned, feeling him die, but they could do nothing for him now but fight on and avenge him. Norgoth swooped by, firing black rays. Melbu defended and said to the zombies, "Take his spirit before the others do," then went after the dragon. The zombies went at him. The closest one reached for Clayton's eyed, but its head was suddenly chopped off.

Marian swung her halberd back up, slicing through two more with the crescent blade, then stabbing another head with her spike. She fought around Clayton, protecting his spirit. She didn't know how to take it herself, so she could only defend. But then, a Mega-Zombie came at her. Wonderful. She went to it to bring the battle away from Clayton, though she stood no chance. She struck at it again and again, but to no avail. The Mega-Zombie swung its sword at her, and she moved away, but then it swung a backhand and she flew back, landing near Clayton. She was definitely hurt. She slowly got onto a knee and saw the zombies rushing at the dragon, with nothing she could do.

But then, she heard Clayton's voice in her head.

_Have you found your strength?_ She looked over at the dead dragon's body, then at her halberd and nodded.

"I have."

_Then…as I promised…_

A silver glow came from Clayton's eyes. _Take it quickly._

She looked at the zombies rushing at the dragon. There was no way she'd make it before they did. When she got there, she'd be killed. But she had to try. Marian pushed off her foot and charged at the dragon as fast as her wings would take her. Both forces grew nearer and nearer. The Mega Zombie saw her coming and she saw it. When she was close enough, she dove, hand outstretched. The Mega Zombie saw this and struck at her with her spear. Marian's hand entered the dragon's eye and she closer her hand, and the zombie struck at her with its sword. She closed her eyes and felt the blade press against her and clang against something, but go no further. She opened them and saw a silver glow surrounding her. Then she realized her hand was closed around the spirit. She pulled it out as the Mega Zombie stepped back, staring.

_I see you did not lie._ Clayton said in her mind. _Your superior skill combined with my power will be an unstoppable union. Our strengths join, as we fight as one. You many now transform._

A light surrounded Marian and she fell onto a knee, as the power surged throughout her. Fortunately, being a wingly, the pain of the power outburst was not as extreme as that for a human. She felt hard armor cover herself in many places. When it was over, she examined herself. She thought the armor would be thick and bulky, but she was wrong. It was thin, and outlined her body perfectly. It was pretty standard. Silver eye in the chest with the black pupil, shoulder guards, long, armored gloves and boots, waist armor, wings, and headband around her forehead, under her long hair. Her weapon became longer and a bit more stylish. She looked at the zombies, who stared back.

Finally, the Mega-Zombie shook it off and charged at her, raising its sword. Marian crossed her arms in defense and the sword glanced off the armor. Due to the thinness, she feared it would go through, but she barely felt a tap. She grinned and twirled her halberd and jumped high up and rammed it through the zombie's head with great ease. Then she turned to the other zombies. They began charging and she gave a horizontal swing and the front row flew back. She swung back and another row was bashed away. Then she tried something else. She lifted her wings up, for she was used to having a pair, and the holes on them began to glow.

"Skyrocket!" She shouted. Missiles fired from the pods and blasted every zombie in her way. They just kept coming out, seeming endless. Then she turned her attention to bigger foes. Three Mega-Zombies were attacking the winglies, whose magic was useless. She flapped her wings and flew to them. The first one, she just sliced off its head. Another saw her and swung its sword down. She blocked and hooked onto the hilt and yanked it away before stabbing it. The third swung a mighty axe at her, and she blocked it easily. She struck it with the spike on her halberd.

Then she saw a couple of virages. Clayton told her of another move and she decided to try it. She put her arms at her side and hovered horizontally. Her wings began to glow as she powered up.

She shot forward, blasting right through the virage. Then she turned to two others and fired her missiles again. The constancy of the attack killed them both.

_I take it you like your newfound power._ Clayton assumed.

"Very much so! She said back.

_Do not solely rely on it. Remember your own skills. Dragoon armor is useless unless the person in them has some tricks of their own._

_He is right._ It was Nagasil. _Remember how you got that spirit._

"I will."

Nagasil nodded, but she saw sadness in his eyes. She couldn't blame him.

"He's still alive, you know." Marian said. "Through me." He chuckled.

_Indeed he is. Now, we must press on!_

"Right!" She said aloud and got back to fighting. She killed many more zombies, then caught sight of her husband. Robert sliced through a zombie and turned to do so to another, but someone else, clad in iron armor flew in front of him and swung her halberd, knocking back a whole row. Then she swung it all around, making a large clearing. Finally, she turned and faced him.

"Sup?"

"MARIAN?"

"In the flesh! Or, should I say, Dragoon armor. I'm the Steel Dragoon!"

"HOLY…OH MY…WHAT…H-…WH-…HOW DID…WOW!"

"Me too! Check this out!" She turned away from him. "Skyrocket!" Rob stared in awe as she obliterated everything around.

"Whoa…I said you were as deadly as one of us, but…I didn't know a dragon would think the same!"

"This ROCKS!"

She didn't see the red dot focusing on her side. Then it vanished and a Virage fired its white beam. She flew away, crashing onto the ground. Robert ran over to her.

"You okay?"

"That…really hurt."

_I cannot defend against magic. _Clayton told her.

_Remember I said do not solely rely on me?_

"I know, I know." She got back up as the virage began powering up. She ran at it and jumped into the air when it tried to fire again and slammed her blade into its head, then tore it out and slammed the spike into another virage. Then she went off to fight some more.

* * *

It didn't stop there. The general found himself being backed into a corner against one of the walls. He was fighting his hardest, but the massive numbers were getting to him. He pounded a face and ducked a blade then stabbed. Then he received a hard blow to the face, then a kick away. He stumbled back into the wall, unable to get back up. But before the zombies could kill him, Smurgh landed in front of him and swung his sickle arms, killing a row, then began breathing poison on them. Many died instantly, but others kept trying, so he sliced through them, then kept firing smoke.

The general, now protected, used a Healing Fog on himself and got back up. He was going to walk out, but the smoke kept flying everywhere.

"Hey," He said, "Any chance I can get through here?"

"Not for a little bit." Smurgh said. "Hang on."

The general didn't like to hang on. He reloaded his guns, but still found himself trapped. He paced back and forth, waiting, but still no clearing. Finally, he shrugged and pulled a cigar out and lit it. After the first puff, one of Smurgh's four eyes looked down at him.

"You know that stuff will kill you."

"You should talk!" The general spoke back.

Smurgh chuckled. "Okay, almost done here."

But then, Melbu Frahma appeared, floating in the air, unbeknownst to Smurgh. The general had been looking up, so he saw him. Melbu gathered a small flame in his hands. The General knew what it would do to all the gas surrounding Smurgh.

"HEY! HEADS UP!" Smurgh looked up just too late. Melbu fired and the general hit the dirt. Smurgh exploded in a giant orange flaming blast. The general was slammed against the wall, but not through it, and somehow survived. His head pounded and he felt a trickle of blood coming from the side that hit the wall. He had a few burns and scars, but he'd be alright. He looked over at Smurgh, who lay as a smoldering corpse on the ground, covered in flames. The general looked down and sighed, then up at Melbu, who teleported away. Then, the zombies came back, heading for Smurgh.

General Sanders got back on his feet and in front of the zombies.

"You want this dragon? Com'n get it!" He swung his sword like a madman, shouting out as he did. But then a virage landed in front of him, crushing many zombies in the process. The general stared up at it. The virage backhanded him, knocking him against the wall again. He shook it off and got back into place, waiting for the Virage. It looked down at him and raised its foot. The general then got another idea. He dropped to a knee, put his sword down, whipped the Stinger Missile off his back, aimed at the virage's face, and fired it. The missile let out a tremendous blast upon contacting with the monster's face. The virage screamed in pain and fell back onto the zombies.

"Gotcha!" The general smiled. But then more zombies came around the dead virage. He grabbed his sword again and once more started fighting, wave after wave, round after round. But they would not stop coming, more determined than ever. The general feared he would lose this battle. But then, there came a bright glow from behind him. He turned and saw it coming from the dragon. Then, a very dark, deep green, glowing orb shot from the eye and swerved in the air. The general put his hands up to defend himself from whatever it was and it slammed into them and stayed there. He turned his hand so he was holding the item and got a better look at it. It was Smurgh's Dragoon spirit, glowing brightly in his hand. He looked over at the zombies, who stared, then back at the spirit. He put his gun away and used a Healing Potion on himself, then cracked his knuckles.

"Here we go." The spirit glowed brighter than ever, with power swelling throughout the general's body, almost causing him to fall over, but he stayed where he was. The general saw his veins turning a sick green, swelling with magic. Then, came the eruption. Thick, brown smoke steamed from the spirit and surrounded its user, outlining his body, getting a good read on how to make the armor. Soon, the smoke became even thicker and hardened into a solid. Dark greenish-brown armor covered the general. His armor was pretty basic, except for his arms. His right one had the long armored glove on it, but with four long spike coming from the knuckles. The other arm was covered up past the elbow in something different. It began thick and wide, but then thinned out the longer it went on until coming to a very sharp, slightly curved point. It was like a giant stinger on his arm. But it had a sort of hatch opened on it, pointing in the same direction as the stinger point.

The general looked himself over with a satisfied smile, then back at his enemies.

"What kinda moves do I got here?" He asked aloud.

_Try this one_ Smurgh said in his mind. A black, smoky ball formed in his hand and he threw it.

"Smoke bomb!" There was a great blast, then the remaining zombies were covered in poisonous fumes. "Very nice. Let's see who else wants a piece'a this." He flapped his wings and flew up high. A group of virages flew high. The general wasn't used to flying, so Smurgh did it for him. The general flew up, a bit surprised, but went along with it. They saw him and began firing. He dodged every one and pointed the hatch at them.

"Smokescreen!" Smoke poured from the hatch, surrounding them. They were unaffected by the poison, but they couldn't see. The general still could, though. He rammed the tip of his stinger into a virage's eye, then stabbed another.

"This is good, but I'd still feel better with a stinger."

_On your arm._

"I meant stinger _missile_."

_Again, on your arm._

He looked at the hatch, then it suddenly pointed at the remaining virage and fired a deep green, glowing missile, which blasted the head right off the virage. The general grinned.

"I am gonna love this!"

He swooped low again and went for some Mega-Zombies. He sliced through one with his stinger and the others looked at him. One stabbed at him with a spear and he moved away, then slammed his spike first into the zombie's chest. It grunted, then smacked him away. He brushed it off and swung again, striking the zombie's throat. Then he flew by and kicked another in the head before stabbing it. Then he fired another missile. But then a Mega-Zombie pounded him with his fist, sending him flying away. The general slid along the ground and shook it off, then looked back at the zombie, who was charging at him. He stood and extended his arm to his side.

"Fog Cutter." Smoke came from the hatch, surrounding the stinger and still going farther, creating a longer outline of the singer. He reeled back and swiped. The smoky blade sliced through the zombie and it fell over in two pieces. Then the haze vanished.

* * *

Word spread about who the two new Dragoons were. They helped the alliance out a ton, but still, they needed the other eight. But how would they get into the castle! Their answer soon came.

Sean parried a blade and kicked the zombie down then sliced another one's head off. Then he blocked and stabbed, then tore his blade out the side of the zombie's stomach to slice it through another and spin, then stab behind him.

"NAGASIL!" Sean bellowed at the top of his lungs. Nagasil flew closer.

_What is it?_

"We have to get into that castle and find the Dragoon spirits. I need you to read some minds and find out where they're located so I can go in!"

Nagasil wasted no time probing the zombie minds for information. It didn't take long to find it. _Sean,_ he said in his mind, _I've found the Dragoon spirits. I'm implanting the directions into your mind._

Suddenly, Sean's mind was filled with information. "Good job. While I'm inside, look for a way to Eric, but don't give it to me until I get back."

_Will do. I'll keep a mental eye on you. If you need help, just call out in your mind._

Sean was off like a shot, tearing through the zombies in front of him, stopping for nothing. There was a mass of Mega Zombies ahead, guarding the door. This would not be easy.

Suddenly, a massive figure swooped low and tore through them all in a single strike. Norgoth flapped his wings and took back to the skies, not looking back at Sean. Sean looked up at him, then back at the castle. He'd thank him later. He was in.

Zombie were all around, but Sean wasn't the Divine Dragoon for nothing. He fought what he needed to and bypassed what he did not. He closed doors, knocked down pillars, did whatever it took to keep the zombies at bay. The spirits were fifty levels up. This would be the ultimate endurance test.

So many stairs, so many levels. When Sean reached the tenth level, the stairs suddenly ended. He'd have to find another set. Entering the main portion of the tenth floor, Sean saw the trap waiting for him. Zombies swarmed from a thousand hiding places, war cries echoing, weapons brandished. Sean pulled out a Gushing Magma and powered it up as he ran. The zombies had him surrounded in a second and closed in tighter and tighter. Sean had his weapon at full power and threw it in one direction. Before it even landed, Sean drew out the Dragon Buster. He wasn't going down easily.

"Bring it on!" He charged and jumped, spinning horizontally and slammed through the first zombie, then swung left and right to sliced through many more. He stabbed a zombie and kicked off two, flailing through the air and landed on another and stabbed the one next to it then, the one beneath him. Sean ducked under a blade and stabbed to owner, then spun the second blade and stabbed twice behind him, then brought it back for an upward swing and stabbed a zombie in the throat. Sean parried two more blades and decapitated the zombies, then made a strong side slash, then spun low to trip several more, then rose, spinning, slicing through the zombies' torsos.

Sean swung his blades all about his body, tearing through the zombies with incredible ease. A head severed here, torsos cut there, death and chaos all about him. One strike, a zombie dead, another strike, another zombie dead, all around, the zombies dropped like flies at Sean's doing. He fought for a time longer than he could comprehend, but knew that he could not stop for any reason. They would kill him the instant he did.

So he kept fighting. Sean slashed a zombie, then kept spinning and kicked a zombie down, then stabbed him and swung back up, tearing through a zombie's chest. A zombie laid a swipe on his face, and Sean swung his blade up to cut off its arm, then swung again to get the head. Sean slammed the Claymore into a head and struck another zombie with the Dragon Buster, then jumped up, backflipping to kick a zombie back into the others, then stabbed both blades into two zombies and did two full spins to kill several more. He brought the second blade onto a head and countered an oncoming spear, then tore the sword out and sliced off that zombies head. Sean stepped back and bashed a zombie's face with the end of the Claymore, then turned back around to tear through four more with both blades. He crossed the blades to block an axe, then slid out of the way and stabbed the zombie, then reeled back his Claymore, accidentally hitting a zombie in the face with his elbow, then stabbing another.

Then, as quickly as the battle had begun, it was over. The last few zombies fell at Sean's skill and the room was quiet. Sean's eyes darted around, searching for any more opponents, but none came. Sean fell to his knees, using both swords to prop himself up as he breathed heavily. His energy was spent and he was only on the tenth floor. He had forty more to go and who knew what lay in wait for him? Fortunately, a thought crossed is mind. Sean took the vial of Life Water Ira had given him and downed a quarter of it. The magical properties flowed through his body and his health and energy were restored in a second. Sean stood back up, took a breath, and kept going.

Sean continued up the stairs, flight after flight, destroying whatever came at him. Before he knew it, he was at the twentieth level. Once more, he were faced with more than they wanted. There were five Mega-Zombies. Two had broadswords, one had a spear, one had an axe, and the fifth had no weapon, but cracked its knuckles as he approached.

Sean brandished both of his weapons. "C'mon."

They all charged at one and Sean dove through them all. Their heads collided, but then they turned to attack again. Sean knew his weapons would have no effect, and what few items he had left would be useless. However, Sean also knew that all zombies, even these kind, had a weakness. He put the Dragon Buster away and took his canteen out. Sean took a sip of his Life Water and held it in his mouth. A zombie swung its sword down. Sean moved away, and while it was leaning over, he spat the water in its face. The zombie roared and clutched its face and fell back. Sean poured a bit more on to guarantee its defeat. It twitched and writhed as it burned and glowed brightly. It ended up as ten simple souls, which quickly scattered.

Four to go. The spear-wielder struck at him and Sean moved away, then jumped over it. He ran under its legs, taking another swig, then when it struck, the sprayed the water onto the zombie's knee. It burned clean through and the Mega-Zombie fell over in pain. Sean finished it off like the other one. This time, Sean poured some of the water onto his blade and swung at the weaponless one. It moved away and stomped. Sean moved away and then quickly avoided a punch. Then he took his wet blade and slammed it into the zombie's ankle. It roared and flicked Sean away. While it stumbled, Sean soaked his dagger and aimed, then threw it. The blade struck into the zombie's forehead, burning into its brain.

Now, Sean had a task on his hands: the axe-wielder. It was a bit larger and bulkier than the others. However, that made it slower. Sean thought of a pretty simple plan to defeat it. The zombie did as he planned, and slammed downward. Sean jumped up and kicked off a wall and landed on the handle to the zombie's axe, surprised he could stand on it and ran up it and jumped up again, landing on the head. He poured the water on the Mega Zombie's head. It dropped its axe and fell over. Sean jumped off before it hit the ground.

A giant blade slammed down in front of him, then smacked him into a wall. The final Mega-Zombie stepped up to him. Sean got back up and reached for his canteen. He didn't have it. Sean looked over and saw it lying on the ground. The Mega Zombie walked over and raised its sword. Sean moved toe the side and rolled away. He put his Claymore away and took out the Dragon Buster alone, the one thing that might do some damage. The zombie swung again and Sean stabbed with all his might at the Zombie's wrist. It only went in a little bit, but it did go in and the Mega Zombie dropped its weapon. Sean dove and rolled, getting a good stab at the monster's ankle. It cried out and hobbled. Sean spun and sliced through the other foot's Achilles Tendon. The beast fell down and Sean ran up to its head, slamming the fiery blade into its throat. With a few last gurgles, the monster dissipated and Sean landed on the stone floor.

Sean used a Healing Potion and got up. He wasn't done yet, not by a long shot.

He pressed on, rushing up the next several flights of stairs. He got lucky and had a major lead on the zombies. He took out a burn out and powered it up as he ran. When he reached the twenty-seventh floor, he tossed it, blowing the narrow stairway to pieces and knocking the zombies back. Sean kept running and knew he had to face another opening in the thirtieth floor. He was right.

Three virages turned to face Sean as he reached the floor. Sean didn't even stop running.

The first virage slammed it hand down and Sean avoided it, then, the hands of the others. All three began chasing after him, wherever he ran. He'd have to find a way to fight back. A virage slammed it hand down again and Sean jumped on it and rammed it sword into it. It roared and flipped its hand up, flinging Sean into the air. He came back down on the virage's head and stabbed it in the eye. The beast roared and fell to the ground. Its body broke Sean's fall perfectly.

He looked up and saw a virage focusing its beam on him. He moved away just in time, but the shockwave threw him into a wall, then he had to get up and avoid another. Now that they kept firing beams, Sean was having more trouble than he could stand. He ran and dove to avoid blasts, but when one finished, another fired. Sean took out the last Gushing Magma he had and threw it. There was no time to charge. The blast was minimal, but enough to stun the Virages for a second. Sean, finally free of constant blasts, was able to attack again. He struck the legs of the virage, but didn't do too much. It grabbed hold of him and crushed him in its grasp, then threw him to the ground. By some miracle, he lived, but suffered greatly. Oh, what he wouldn't do to have the Divine Dragoon Spirit in his hands right now.

However, that bump to the head reminded Sean of a few gifts given to him by the general. He was down to one, but one was all he needed. A virage reached down and Sean rolled away. He took out a grenade and pulled the pin. Waiting only a few seconds as the virage reached again, Sean threw the grenade and dove. The explosion sent them both rolling and the monster fell dead.

The last virage fired its optical blast again. Sean still couldn't do much damage to it. It drew its hand back and thrust forward. Sean dove out of the way and the hand stuck into the wall. Quickly, he ran up the arm and began hacking at the shoulder until the arm fell right off. The virage spun around and Sean held onto what was left of the shoulder. The virage reached over to him and Sean slashed at it and the virage recoiled. Sean got another idea. He held on with one hand, and then made a stab into the side of the virage's head, only striking what lead to the wings and nothing too important, but he made sure to tear out at an angle. The virage reached again and again, Sean smacked the hand away. Then he did something very dangerous. He put his sword back into its sheath. He reached into his pocked and reached for his items. Only two Burn Outs and the Psychedelic Bomb remained. A Burn Out would do. He had to save the Psyche Bomb X for a desperate situation. He powered it up the Burn Out much as he could and shoved the item into the gash, then quickly dropped before the virage grabbed him.

Sean landed on his feet and ran away, then looked back. The side of the virage's head exploded in a great, orange flame. It thrashed around, roaring in pain. It fell onto its side, then got back up and thrashed some more. Finally, it began losing control of its bodily functions and fell into a wall and slid down, landing on its face as its body burned.

Sean fell onto his back, gasping for air. It was too intense, all of it. He was down to one Burn Out and the Psyche Bomb X. Twenty floors to go. How much longer could he do this? Sitting up, he pulled out he Life Water vial again and downed another quarter of it. Half of the vial remained. He would surely need it.

His strength restored, Sean started running again. After three virages, the oncoming zombies seemed like nothing. He tore through them all and took to the stairs, running up ten more levels, wondering what awaited him next. He was surprised at what he found.

Sean ran into the open area. The stairs were on the other side of the room. Nothing stood in his way. Sean wasn't so easily fooled. He stalked forward with the utmost caution. Something _had _to be here. Sean broke into a trot, remembering the urgency, but still being cautious. The stairs were very near now. Sean got a plan. He ran to the stairs at full force. Right when he reached the bottom one, he stopped and jumped back.

Fire engulfed the spot in which he'd just been standing. A wall of mysterious fire now blocked Sean from the stairs. As he stood back up, the fire converged into a very familiar foe: The Fire Demon. S

ean groaned. He hadn't expected this. The monster smiled and evil smile, waiting for Sean to try and pass. Now what? What could possibly extinguish this beast, or at least keep him safe from it?

An idea hit Sean, but he didn't like it too much. Would it be enough? There was only one way to find out, and only one way through. Sean opened his canteen and dumped the contents all over his body. Still dripping, Sean ran as fast as he could towards the fire monster. The monster roared and Sean dove. He soared through the flames and ran, not knowing if he was on fire or not. The fire demon was too far behind to cause Sean harm, so he checked himself over. He wasn't burning, it seemed, but he was steaming. Oh, well. Time to get moving.

Only a few floors up, a door suddenly swung open and a zombie rushed in. Sean stabbed it and shoved it into the others coming in and kept running. Less than ten floors away, less than ten floors away.

The zombies were pursuing, but he didn't care. Soon, Sean passed the forty-ninth door and the passage narrowed. He was rounding a tower. He was nearly to the top. Sean took out the vial of Life Water and drank half of it before seeing the Mega Zombie.

Sean ducked as the Mega Zombie swung its fist. Sean threw the rest of the Life Water vial and it shattered on the monster's face. The monster roared as it died. The instant the monster dissipated, it revealed a door. Using all of his strength, Sean forced the door open slowly. He could hear the zombies coming back. Sean ran to the other side of the door and pushed it back shut with a loud thud. The instant it was shut, Sean slammed the giant lock down.

He was in.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: To be continued in the next chapter. Lotsa stuff happening here, as you can see. Had to break it down into two chapters. Well, I found an internet port at my vacation site, so I'm able to update now, lucky you guys. Someone asked me to update today, the 16th. I already had the chapter ready, so I just kept it until now to please a fan. Hope you all enjoyed it. I'm well on my way into the next chapter. I'll update when I can. Later.


	24. The Battle of the Ages Part 2

Chapter Twenty-Four: The Battle of the Ages-Part 2

There they were, all eight Dragoon Spirits, each sitting on a different pedestal along a nearby wall. Sean stood to his feet and looked at them all. How long at it been since he'd seen them? All the Dragon eyes turned to face him. One began to shine brightly. Sean recognized it all too well.

It couldn't be this easy. Sean looked all around for any kind of trap. There _had_ to be some sort of trap. No way would Zackwell let him just walk up and take what was his. Sean slowly edged towards his Dragoon Spirit. He longed to just reach out and grab it, restoring his former power, but he had to fight back the temptation to be realistic. Zackwell would have these things guarded.

Every step was ever so cautious as the spirit kept shining.

"Boy, oh boy, have I missed you." Sean admitted with a small grin, edging closer. Then, the Divine Dragoon boomed in his head.

_STOP!_

Sean froze in place. "What?"

_There's a barrier along this wall, just past the pedestals. If you touch it, your soul will be shredded._

Sean nodded. "I knew it couldn't be this easy."

_ABOVE YOU!_

Sean looked up and saw a familiar pair of eyes rushing at him. Sean dove to the side and flailed away from Zackwell's swinging blade. Both stood, weapons drawn.

Zackwell cursed. "I had so hoped you'd walk right into the trap and be out of my misery, but that's why I waited here, just in case."

"So you're finally stopped underestimating us?"

"More or less." Zackwell shrugged. He smirked every so maliciously. "So now it finally comes down to it, doesn't it, Sean? You and me, mortal enemies. I've been waiting patiently for it."

"We've faced off before, remember?" Sean returned.

"Yes, but I have the advantage this time. The only way to retrieve your Dragoon Spirit is to sacrifice your soul, and what good would that do you?"

"I'll find a way, Zackwell. You know it."

"Indeed you might. So I'm going to end this right now."

He leapt back at Sean, swinging his scythe. Sean blocked and struck back, but Zackwell blocked. Sean held a block and swung a kick. Zackwell jumped over him and kicked him towards the barrier again, but Sean stopped himself and pushed back, tackling Zackwell. He teleported away before hitting the wall and Sean rammed head-first into it. He shook it off and turned and swiped at Zackwell, who blocked again, then he swung low. Zackwell jumped up and kicked Sean back. He stopped himself from falling over.

Zackwell shot forward and faked a swipe, then disappeared and reappeared behind him. Sean guessed this would happen and turned to parry the blade, then slice Zackwell's chest. He ignored it and struck back twice, both moves blocked. Then he swung down and Sean blocked. Zackwell shoved the blade away and spun, bashing Sean's face, then spinning again, scythe outstretched. Sean ducked under it and swung an upward swipe, slashing him again. Zackwell raised his foot up and shot it forward like a rocket, slamming Sean against the wall, banging his head, then he grabbed his throat and pounded his face.

Sean punched Zackwell's gut, getting just a small chance, but enough to strike again, this time it was an uppercut. Zackwell's head shot back and Sean punched him away, then swung at him with his sword. Zackwell flipped back to get some distance, then his blade glowed blue.

"Soul Strike!" Zackwell shot through Sean's body. He fell onto a knee in pain. Zackwell grabbed him by the throat and moved him to the Soul-Shredder. Sean planted his feet in the ground to stop himself. Zackwell shoved him forward and Sean found himself with his face inches from the barrier. He pulled back on himself as hard as he could, but his face became nearer and nearer to the wall. Finally, Sean shot his foot up behind him, kicking Zackwell's stomach, and his grip loosened. Sean slid away and swiped Zackwell's face.

Zackwell turned and glared at him. He struck hard, knocking Sean's blade down and then pounded his face. Sean stayed low and spun, tripping him. He turned to stab him, but Zackwell rolled away, then jumped up and kicked Sean's face. He fell back, but got up and struck back. Zackwell blocked it and struck back. Sean dodged the swipe and tried again, to no avail.

Sean shouted, jumping up and slicing Zackwell's face. He roared and the wound healed up. Zackwell struck hard and Sean held a long block, then sidestepped out of it and slammed his sword into Zackwell's side. He swung a backhand and Sean flew across the room, then Zackwell charged at him, swinging his scythe. Sean ducked under it and kicked Zackwell's stomach, then tackled him, pinning him to the ground. Sean bashed Zackwell's face several times, until he was flipped off him. Sean got up and swung his sword again and Zackwell blocked with his blade and jumped and kicked off Sean's chest, then fired a black beam. Sean was knocked into a wall.

"You're a warrior and a half." Zackwell spat. "I'll give you that, but I've had enough!" Darkness swarmed about his body, amplifying his powers.

"So have I!" Sean drew out the Dragon Buster and brandished both his weapons. "Come on, Zackwell! _LET'S END THIS!_"

Zackwell struck in all his fury, but Sean crossed his blades and blocked, then pressed back and swiped with the Dragon Buster, then stabbed with the Claymore. Zackwell took both hits and swung his scythe, but Sean leaned back and withdrew his weapons, then blocked with one and sliced with the other. Zackwell teleported and Sean spun to block, but he teleported again. Sean simply turned the Dragon Buster and blocked the attack, then swung his Claymore. Zackwell grabbed it, holding it in place, then jumped and kicked Sean back into a wall, then dove at him, stabbing his scythe into stone, where Sean's head had been only a second earlier.

Sean spun, knocking away Zackwell's blade for a second with the Dragon Buster, then thrust his Claymore into Zackwell's belly in an upward stab. Then, spun back and withdrew that sword, and while Zackwell was hunched, he struck the Dragon Buster into his spine. Sean flipped over Zackwell's back, withdrawing the Dragon Buster and stabbing the Claymore back into the demon's belly.

Zackwell took little heed of the damage and turned to stab Sean with his scythe. Sean blocked, but Zackwell swung his free fist and connected with Sean's face, then brought his knee up to strike his belly, then performed a back flip kick, knocking Sean away. Zackwell slid the Claymore out of his gut and hurled it at Sean. He rolled to the side, barely avoiding damage, and retrieved his weapon.

Sean may have been a powerful warrior, trained by both wingly and dragon, but he knew that Zackwell had regenerative powers and would not die at his hands. He had to get the Dragoon Spirits and go.

A clever plan began to form in his mind. But it would have to wait, because Zackwell would not. He jumped and struck down. Sean rolled away and kicked Zackwell's head, then catapulted onto his feet and sliced at Zackwell's face, which instantly healed. Zackwell made a quick slash, slicing Sean's chest, then a demonic punch that felt like it ripped through Sean's body. He couldn't get back up and Zackwell grabbed his throat and threw him into another wall.

"Pitiful fool." Zackwell said. Sean stayed down, feeling it was time to put his plan to action. He put both of his swords away. "Surrendering?" Zackwell mocked.

"Hardly." Sean took out his last Burn Out and the Psyche Bomb X. He powered them both up, standing tall, just waiting.

"This ought to be good." Zackwell laughed, preparing to strike.

"I certainly hope so." Sean said as the weapons finished powering up. Sean took the Psyche Bomb X and threw it at the Dragoon Spirits. While Zackwell's eyes followed the bomb in confusion, Sean threw the Burn Out right at his face. It erupted into flame as the Psyche Bomb X exploded in eight shining lights.

Sean was tossed against the wall, as were the Dragoon Spirits. The immortal souls of the dragons passed through the barrier harmlessly and scattered about the room.

_NOW!_

Sean scrambled, grabbing one, two, three, four Dragoon Spirits. He put them around his neck and kept running as Zackwell was recovering. One more!

Zackwell panicked. He quickly grabbed the two nearest him. Sean took the Dragon Buster and sliced through his wrists, then kicked him away. Zackwell's hands fell open and Sean grabbed the spirits. That made seven, but which was his?

Sean held out all the spirits he'd acquired and looked them over. None of them were his own! Of all the luck! Where was the last spirit! There! Seven voices screamed in Sean's head. Get it, get it, get it!

Sean and Zackwell both dove for the Divine Dragoon Spirit. Dark fingers clasped around it. Sean grabbed hold of only the demon's hand, but would not let go. Zackwell thrashed and turned, trying to get the human's hands off of his, but Sean had a death grip fastened onto them. Sean couldn't do anything until the spirit was in his hands, so he kept twisting, trying to pry Zackwell's hands off of it.

Zackwell bashed Sean's gut with his knee. Sean tightened his stomach at the right time and took the hit, then spun in, bashing Zackwell's gut with his elbow. No effect. Zackwell's tail swirled in the air, then struck Sean like a whip across the cheek. He cringed as it kept striking him, but he wouldn't let go. He held his hands close to Zackwell's body so that the whipping tail would not strike them.

The demon had enough. He thrashed about some more, finally slamming Sean into a wall, but still his grip didn't falter. Zackwell leaned forward and dug his razor-like teeth into the side of Sean's neck.

"AAAHH!" Sean roared in excruciating pain. The demon's teeth bore deeper. Desperate, Sean allowed one hand to leave its post to grab the dagger at his side. With it, Sean stabbed Zackwell's side over and over, desperate for release. He stuck the blade into Zackwell's side and twisted this way and that, but Zackwell would not falter to the pain.

Just then, Zackwell felt a tremendous burning sensation on his chest. He withdrew his teeth to look. The Red-Eye Dragoon Spirit was firing a burning beam into his chest. When he'd stepped back, the other Dragoon Spirits joined in, each firing rays of their own color. Sean had given them a vessel.

Sean put his dagger away and returned to hanging on to that spirit, doing his best to ignore the pain and the blood running down his shoulder. Fortunately, the White-Silver Dragoon Spirit healed it quickly. Finally, all seven spirits fired intense rays, fixing themselves right at Zackwell's chest. He cringed, trying to absorb the pain, but it wouldn't work this time.

The seven beams finally tore right through Zackwell and forced him backwards. He dropped the Dragoon Spirit. Sean tightly clasped it with two hands.

"DIIIEE!" Zackwell bellowed, shooting a great black beam from his scythe. The attack blew Sean right through the wall and sent him tumbling fifty stories.

Sean couldn't have been more pleased.

Sean laughed as he fell, feeling the Divine Dragon's strength flowing through his veins, igniting his spirit into a blaze he hadn't felt in weeks. Sean's entire Dragoon attire returned to him, most importantly, the six wings. He flapped them all, getting back into the air. Sean drew out his Claymore and watched it transform before his eyes into the weapon fitting of the Divine Dragon.

Holding his weapon high, the center eye of his armor shone with the utmost intensity, letting the entire battlefield know he was back.

The other seven Dragoon Spirits glowed and slowly removed themselves from around Sean's neck. Swelling with power, they rocketed across the battlefield, looking for their bearers.

One by one, the Dragoons were returned to their full glory. Seven more figures took to the skies, flapping their wings once more, overcharged with energy. The company's morale skyrocketed as the Dragoons began to weave their magic.

"NAGASIL!" Sean bellowed, rushing to the dragon. "Zackwell's pact is broken. Eric and the others are dead if we don't get to them NOW!"

"They're in that tower!" Nagasil pointed with his tail.

"I'm going in!"

"Not alone!" Melissa flew to him. Sean didn't argue. He was going in whether anyone followed him or not.

As they flew, Nagasil spoke to their minds. _Zackwell has put up a soul-shredding barrier in front of them. I've taken their minds and am commanding them not to go towards it. Hurry!_

They didn't need to be told twice. Sean's six wings carried him faster and faster back to Zackwell's castle. He powered up his cannon, getting ready for the worst. Sean smashed his frame right through the tower wall and rolled into a shooting stance. There stood Zackwell, Sean's child in hand, scythe raised.

"Divine Dragon Cannon!" He'd been longing to say that. The almighty beam ripped through Zackwell's body. Eric dropped back to the ground, crying.

"We have to break through that barrier." Sean said.

"Done!" Melissa shouted, lifting her rapier. Her Dragoon Spirit shining brightly, Melissa stabbed downward, her weapon connecting with the shield, forcing its visibility. Red flashed against black, flickering as powers clashed.

Just then, Zackwell reappeared, swinging his scythe. Sean was right there, blade outstretched to protect Melissa. He fired his cannon again, but Zackwell blocked it with wing and arm. The two dueled it out again, Sean's new power gave him a sublime adrenaline rush that allowed him to keep up with Zackwell.

Melissa kept struggling with the dark force in front of her. Her powers were great, but so were Zackwell's. However, just like Sean, she felt a surge like never before and it, along with her motherly instinct, drove her to new levels. Suddenly, with a flash of power, the magical barrier shattered and vanquished. Melissa dropped down and wrapped her arms tightly around her weeping son. The world seemed to fall back in place just that quickly.

Sean saw the barrier vanish, and so did Zackwell. The dark lord jumped and kicked Sean down, then rushed for Melissa. She spun and blocked his weapon with her rapier. Sean accessed the power of his dragon and stretched out his right arm. It shifted and transformed into a long, armored arm. He scooped up Mark and Sabrina, then fired once more at Zackwell. He and Melissa left in a hurry.

With his dragon powers, Sean summoned all the Dragoons to him. He led them back to a safe place outside of Mayfil, where a number of troops were waiting. Once they were all gathered, Sean returned the children to their rightful parents and turned to his own. There was rejoicing all around.

Sean looked at the two new Dragoons and had to smile. "Two extra warriors certainly can't hurt."

"We have our powers back." Robert said, "As well as the kids. We have what we came for. We should get out while we still can."

"No!" Christie shouted. "We can't leave now! Chris is still in there!"

Sean looked back at Mayfil. "That's right…I haven't seen him all day. Zackwell's probably saving him for a special occasion." He turned back to his comrades. "Okay. We'll leave the kids here with the troops and get Chris. Let's go, now!"

Suddenly, Marian's and the general's Dragoons Spirits began to shimmer furiously.

"What's up?" Sean asked.

_A dragon's in danger._ The Divine Dragon told him.

"A dragon's in danger?" Sean repeated. "Which one?"

Marian and the general said it at the same time. "Ira!"

"No…" Ben whispered, remembering his promise to introduce her to Christie.

"Come on!" Sean bellowed. They began flying.

* * *

Ira was truly in danger. Zackwell had found her.

He fired another black ray into her flank and she flew back a ways. He dove in for the kill, but Ira shot him back with a white ray. Zackwell moved in for one more attack.

Suddenly, a hulking figure dropped down in front of him and knocked him away with a massive claw. Zackwell regained himself and stared up at Norgoth.

"Always the defender, hmm? Alright then. I'll destroy you, first!"

Zackwell shot forward, spinning his scythe. Norgoth blocked the attack and struck with his claws. Zackwell maneuvered around them and struck. Norgoth cringed, but paid little mind to the attack. He swatted Zackwell away with his tail. He moved and shot a black beam right into the dragon's head.

"Ira!" Sean flew in close to her. "Are you alright?"

"I'll be fine." She said, healing her own wounds. "Thankfully Norgoth came when he did."

Norgoth roared and became angry. His eyes glowing, Norgoth's mouth widened, gathering energy. He fired his death ray at Zackwell, but he teleported away. Norgoth turned and fired again. Every time he fired, Zackwell would teleport. Every time he missed, Norgoth's rage increased. He fired rapidly, everywhere and anywhere, trying to take Zackwell down.

Then, Zackwell teleported into place. "Over here!" He grinned maliciously.

Sean's eyes widened in horror. "Norgoth! DON'T!"

Too late. Norgoth fired one more ray and Zackwell teleported. It was then, far too late, that Norgoth saw Zackwell's plan. He'd vanished out of harm's way, and the death ray struck not him, but Ira.

The Life Dragon cried out for only a second, and then fell onto her side. Norgoth froze, staring at what he'd just done.

"No…" he whispered.

"Ha, ha, HA!" Zackwell laughed. "Ignorant fool!" He then turned to the Dragoons, who began hounding him.

Norgoth slowly and sadly walked to Ira's body. He nudged her, but she didn't stir. He tried again, but received the same results. Norgoth's wings drooped. He craned his head back and roared in anguish, then lowered it again, disgusted at himself.

Sean approached him. "It was an accident."

"She's dead."

"You didn't mean to."

"I should've been watching."

"There's no time to dwell upon it now. C'mon. Let's go avenge her death."

Norgoth drew in a deep breath, and then nodded. "Let's."

They both turned and aimed at Zackwell. Norgoth fired his death ray and Sean fired his Divine Dragon Cannon. Both hit their mark.

Zackwell regenerated himself and glared at them all. "Alright then. You've got your dragons…and I have mine."

The eyes of Zackwell's skull scythe glowed. He thrust it upward, shouting, "Chaos Dragon, arise!"

The great beast broke through the ground, tearing upward, showing off its massive figure. Sean recoiled, remembering this creature, the mock-dragon that had nearly destroyed him at the peak of his arrogance.

The Chaos Dragon landed on all fours and roared. Norgoth stepped back, analyzing this new opponent, seeming confused.

"Everyone!" Sean called. "Get back to the battle. Norgoth and I will handle this one." The followed their orders. "Norgoth, I know you have a strict loyalty to dragons, but this creature is not a dragon. It's a mockery Zackwell created, but it's powerful all the same. I'm going to need your help."

Norgoth nodded. They charged.

While they were all distracted, Zackwell turned to a mildly pressing matter. He returned to Ira's fallen body and landed near her head. Using his scythe, Zackwell cut into Ira's eye. A bright light shone from within, but he ignored it. Reaching his hand, Zackwell fought through the acidic sensation to grab the Dragoon Spirit within. He took it out and watched the light fade. It was a white spirit with a blue pupil.

"They'll not add another to their numbers…especially not one of light."

Suddenly, a sharp pain jolted through his head and he fell down, dropping the spirit. Jenn took her dagger out of Zackwell's head, grabbed the spirit, and ran to try and get Sean's attention. He could keep it safe.

Before she could reach him, Zackwell was suddenly right in front of her.

"Wrong move, human." He walked towards her slowly and she moved backed up, still holding tightly to the Dragoon Spirit. "Look at it. It doesn't even glimmer in your hands. It wasn't meant for you."

"And it certainly wasn't meant for you."

"Hand it over."

"I'll only hand it over to its rightful bearer."

"Mm, good ol' Jenn, trying to do what is good, trying to help the Dragoons in their cause, and yet powerless to do so."

"I defeated Melbu in one stroke."

"And I will do the same to you if you do not hand over that spirit right now." She shook her head. "Well, I suppose it's all the same. I was going to destroy you whether you gave it to me or not. Goodbye, my dear."

Zackwell swung his scythe and Jenn ducked down. A suddenly light erupted from her hand and tore through the unsuspecting Zackwell. He fell down as the light burned him from within.

Jenn looked at her hand and the glowing spirit within.

_Your heart is pure._ A voice said in her mind. _You long to do what is good, but do not always have the means to. Now, my dear, you will._

Jenn saw a light traveling up the veins in her arms, along with a swelling tingle. Mike had once told her about his first transforming experience, but feeling for herself was something else. All at once, there was a great pain as the dragon's power erupted from her unfamiliar body

Jenn's armor was very similar to Christie's. Her midriff was exposed, and the eye in her chest was smaller, and it was white with a bright blue pupil. Her headband was white too, and the skirt under her waist armor was bright blue as well. Her draggers were a bit longer, with a bright blue jewel in the hilt of each. But the biggest difference was the wings. They weren't real wings. They were just streaks of light emerging from her back, like a wingly's only bigger.

Zackwell dove at her, swinging his scythe, but in a white blur, she was gone.

* * *

The other Dragoons got back to what they loved to do: destroy the bad guys.

The general was starting to get used to his wings. He circled a wide group of zombie warriors in a ring of smoke. He flew up high above them and closed his arms together, closing the ring tightly, enveloping the entire group in a deadly fog. Just to ensure the destruction, the general shot his stinger missile. The explosion spread among the smoke and created a tremendous explosion.

Marian spread her wings wide and spun rapidly through the dark crowd. The strength of her Dragoon form knocked them all down. She spread her halberd and kept spinning, slicing through several more. She spread her wings again so that the turrets pointed skyward and fired several missiles into the air. She ducked down, wrapping her wings around herself for protection. The missiles came back down and landed all about her. Then, Marian's wings shimmered with her own wingly power and she emitted a magical wave in an expanding circle around her body. The flames from the explosions spread further to ignite the soldiers too far away to be hit by the missiles.

Great fired burned about Ben's body, and he had to grin at the familiarity of it. He had to retry his powers. First, he tossed his katana into the air and created an immense fireball in front of himself. He performed his Flameshot move, punching the fireball into a virage's face, taking it to the ground. He reached up and caught his katana, but fell to the ground with it .Upon landing, her thrust his blade into the ground, spreading a red shockwave that created several explosions amongst the zombies. One blew under his body and tossed him upward. Ben flew in a full loop and shoot through many Mega Zombies with his Final Burst attack, ending in a great explosion.

Robert aimed his attack well, green gales swirling around his spear. They formed the shape of a great eagle, poised for attack. Robert thrust his spear forward, releasing the eagle. It flew low, blasting through the zombies on the ground. Then, it curved upwards and collided with a virage. The virage found itself trapped in a wind bubble. Robert compressed the sphere with his magic, increasing the air pressure within until the monster's head just caved in. Robert swooped low, swinging his spear to blow away more enemies.

Melissa made short work of a few zombies with her quick blade, and then flew into the air to take care of several more. Her Dragoon Spirit brimmed with the power of darkness and flooded into the air around her. A vertical line began to form in the sky. Melissa spread her hands and opened a great void of darkness. The zombies found themselves powerless as they were pulled into the Demon's Gate. Once Melissa had held the gate open as long as she could, she let it close shut, forever sealing her victims inside. Then, her rapier still flowing with dark magic, she thrust it into the eye of the nearest virage. Her magic drew the virage's life force from its body and gave it to Melissa, restoring her stamina.

Christie flew over the battlefield, trying to find a good concentration of human, wingly, and giganto soldiers. Her spirit shimmered and her wings stretched as far as they could go. Great light shone from her wings and bathed the soldiers in a warmth that restored their health and energy. The wounded got back up and fought again, full of vigor. Her wings still spread, Christie lifted her arms. Tiny, white particles fell from the sky and spread across the battlefield. They were minuscule stars, flowing with light that tore through the dark warriors in waves.

Brittany was making a few waves of her own. With her own magic, she was creating water all around herself, suspended in the air. Then, she let it all go in a tidal wave that washed away the zombie soldiers. Then, her spirit shone upon the water and it all froze right where it was, trapping the evil warriors within. Brittany flew low to the ground, her arms crossed, a razor-sharp ice blade covering them. When she was low enough, Brittany spread her arms and the blade flew from them, cutting through all the ice and those inside.

Electricity was swarming all over Brad's body, not necessarily for battle purposes, but for the familiarity of it. Then, he put it to practical use. It formed small electric balls, which Brad spread around the field. They erupted in small jolts of lightning in the crowd, striking only the zombies. Then, he turned to the bigger foes, the Mega Zombies. Magically resistant? He'd find out. Brad dove into the ground around a group of them, then shot up the other side. He dove down into another area, creating an efficient triangle, then, rocketed up through the ground in a great electrical explosion, destroying all around him.

Mike spent most of his time striking down the Mega Zombies with his superior physical strength. Then, he flew high into the sky, his Dragoon Spirit glowing. A meteor was coming down to the earth, but Mike was blocking its trajectory. With a mighty punch, he shattered the meteor. The smaller pieces rained down onto the earth, crushing the zombies below. When Mike landed, her slammed his axe into the ground, creating a golden shockwave that traveled through the ground. He lifted his spear up and a great stream of earth took out many more zombies.

Suddenly, there was a white flash and a zombie died. Another series of flashes and the zombies fell. Mike thought it was Christie weaving her magic, but then a new, yet familiar figure appeared in front of him.

"Hi." Jenn said, clad in her new Dragoon armor.

Mike shot a double take. "What the!"

"The Life Dragon chose me! Isn't that cool?"

"Uh…y-yeah…wow, kind of unexpected."

She did a little twirl to show off the entire outfit for him. "Now I can help you guys out."

"Alright, just be careful."

"Always, babe. Check out what I can do."

Jenn's Dragoon Spirit shone intensely. "Purifier!" The light grew phenomenally and burned through the zombies, which cried out in intense pain before disintegrating into ash.

Mike whistled. "That _will_ come in handy."

* * *

Darteth slammed his blade into Caron's and held it there, pressing her back, waiting to her grip to falter and have his sword slice through her throat. But she used a bit of magic in her blade to blast him back. He flipped and landed on his feet, then shot at her a great speed. She jumped right over him and turned, firing a green ball after him. The blast knocked Darteth to his face, but he shook it off and got back up, glaring. He whipped a series of daggers out of nowhere and threw them all at her. She blocked each one with her spear.

"You're fast." He said. "But I'm faster." He made a quick flick with his wrist and Caron couldn't see the blade, much less block it. It sliced through her side and then he threw another at the same speed, slicing her arm. Then he held up another. "Now for the real thing." He threw it and it bounced off a green shield surrounding her and headed right back at him. Darteth caught it easily and tossed it away. "You're only gonna wear yourself out."

Darteth jumped up and struck the shield with the tip of his sword. The spot it struck glowed red, then the color spread across the shield until it finally shattered. She stumbled back and Darteth struck. Caron was barely able to block, but did so. Then she teleported out of the way of another attack and appeared behind him. He sensed her and spun to strike again and she blocked. He swung a heavy swipe to knock her spear down, then bashed her face with his elbow, then jumped up and swung a spinning kick, then blasted her away with a red beam.

Caron hit the ground hard. She was tired and her magic was failing her. She wouldn't last much longer, she feared.

* * *

Sean slashed the Chaos Dragon's face. It roared in more anger than pain and snapped its jaws. Sean moved out of the way. Norgoth slammed into the Chaos Dragon's side, pushing it a little, but the bigger dragon's swinging head knocked him over. Sean attacked again, but the Chaos dragon moved and swung his tail with great might. Sean was hit hard and knocked into the castle walls. The giant dragon turned to Norgoth with a snicker.

"Black Death!" Norgoth roared, fully prepared, firing a great black beam from his mouth that struck the Chaos Dragon in the chest. It grunted from the impact, but laughed.

"I cannot be killed so easily." It laughed. "But you can."

The Dragon's eyes glowed white as an attack came to its mind. Its tail rose up, gathering white energy. Norgoth prepared himself for the worst. He couldn't have suspected what the dragon was doing.

The light on the Chaos Dragon's tail formed an arrow, pointing to the sky.

The Chaos Dragon chuckled. "Bring me the sun."

The arrow fired, piercing the dark clouds and moving on, reaching for the sun. A white rope was attached to the arrow.

Sean had seen this attack before, four years ago, when Zackwell had attacked them at their home. Christie had used it to their advantage. It was her ultimate attack.

"NORGOTH!" Sean shouted. "MOVE!"

"Purifying Light!" The Chaos Dragon declared, yanking the rope downward. With the arrow came an immense sun beam that tore through the dark clouds and shone right on Norgoth and his surrounding area. Everyone on the battlefield noticed this attack and shielded their eyes from it. Many zombies were fried by the intense ray, but they could be restored.

Norgoth let out a terrible roar of pain as the light ripped through him. When the attack finally finished, Norgoth fell onto his side, smoke sizzling off of him.

The Chaos Dragon laughed as it gathered its strength again. The attack could wipe out a human like Christie, but he was much more powerful than just a human. He would recover fairly quickly.

Sean flew over to Norgoth's fallen body and gave a heavy sigh. A great shadow covered him. Sean turned and saw Nagasil looking at his fallen comrade.

"So…" He said softly. "I am all that's left."

"It seems so."

Nagasil didn't look at him. "Take his spirit before someone else does."

Sean nodded. He spilled the air from his wings and landed on the ground. Sean thrust his blade into Norgoth's eye and a dark glow emitted from within. Sean put the sword down so he would have a free hand and reached inside for Norgoth's spirit. He took it out and looked at it. The spirit was black with a red pupil.

A black beam suddenly knocked Sean down, causing him to drop the Dragoon Spirit. He jumped up and looked for it, but Zackwell snatched it before he could.

"I will not allow you to add another number to your ranks!" Zackwell seethed.

"You don't have a choice!" Sean fired his cannon, but Zackwell moved away. Sean picked his sword back up and took to the skies, slicing at Zackwell, but he was too evasive.

Suddenly, a white arrow struck the back of Zackwell's head and he fell to the ground. Sean gave a thumb's up to Christie and she returned it. Sean dove down and tackled Zackwell away, then turned to retrieve the spirit, but Zackwell tacked him back. They finally pushed each other away and looked for the spirit.

It was gone. They looked around frantically, but could not find the spirit.

_Sean,_ the Divine Dragon said, _I can't feel the spirit's presence anywhere._

"That's impossible." Sean muttered.

Zackwell scanned the area carefully, but it was nowhere to be found. He looked around at the massive battle. _Anyone_ could have it.

* * *

Caron was at the end of herself. She'd been fighting Darteth for hours, but he didn't show any signs of weakening. She was down on a knee, panting.

"What's the matter?" Darteth asked. "Out of energy? Too bad, because I'm just getting warmed up!" He fired a red beam and she jumped over it. Darteth jumped into the air and kicked her in the stomach before she landed, then slammed her into the ground. Caron forced herself onto her feet once more, unsure of what to do. She could only think of one thing.

Caron gathered energy into her hands and fired. Darteth jumped up and she fired again in the same direction, knocking him back. Then she quickly got to work. Caron closed her eyes and concentrated. A white light began to glow between her hands, which were closed together. Darteth got back up, unsure of what this was. Then he heard a roar behind him. He turned and saw a slit open in the air, revealing a world of light inside.

"You'd better hope you can survive in the Light Realm as well as Zackwell did!" Her entire body glowed with radiant energy and she drew her hands back, then fired. Darteth chuckled.

"I don't have to!" Just as the beam was close enough, he teleported. Caron grabbed her spear, which she'd stuck into the ground, and filled it with the remaining magic from the attack, plus a bit more, lightning quick, and spun around. Darteth reappeared right behind her, but Caron had seen it coming. The instant he appeared, she slashed right through his torso. Both halves of Darteth fell to the ground.

Caron lifted her left hand and it began to shimmer with a dark light and pressed the hand into Darteth's upper half. And she pulled out his soul. It squirmed in her hand, but she wouldn't let go. She angled carefully and rammed her spear through the soul. But to her surprise, nothing happened.

_Fool!_ Darteth laughed in her head. _Only a dark blade can destroy a soul!_

"Really?"

_Yep._

Caron bent over and picked up Darteth's blade. "Will this do?"

She couldn't see it, but she felt Darteth's eyes shooting open in horror. She tossed her soul into the air and drew back.

_NNNOOOOO!_ Darteth wailed.

Caron swung, slashing through the soul. There was a great blast that knocked Caron back and a shockwave that rocked the whole battle. Caron hit the ground hard and rolled a good distance. She quickly looked back up at where she'd been. She watched as Darteth's empty body was engulfed in a flame that seemed to come from the ground itself and burned until there was nothing left. Darteth's blade in Caron's hand suddenly disintegrated in her hand. Caron took a few deep breaths. The soul-stealing menace, Darteth, was finally defeated.

* * *

Zackwell turned to the eruption of power he felt in the distance. His eyes narrowed. "Darteth has fallen…his soul is gone." Zackwell's spine shivered. That soul had been borrowed.

Still, he could destroy the Dragoons. "Chaos Dragon, come!" He bellowed.

The massive mock-dragon came to its master's call, roaring mightily.

"Kill everything in your path!" Zackwell hissed.

"I suppose you'll start with me, then!" Sean said, getting in the way.

"Oh, gladly, yes." Zackwell said.

"Let's make this even." Sean said. "Divine Dragon! Come!"

A great vortex opened in the sky, flashing of the eight Dragoon colors. Seven eyes, seven wings, and a massively long frame emerged and landed on four mighty legs. Stretching its long neck to the sky, the King of Dragons let out a triumphant roar, announcing his return. All seven eyes glared at the mockery in front of a dragon. The mockery glared back.

"C'mon, Zackwell." Sean hissed, brandishing his blade. "You and me…one last time."

Zackwell nodded. "Let's."

Both entities collided in a shower of sparks, blades flashing, power flowing. Zackwell and Sean went at it like the old rivals they were, nothing was held back and no mercy would be dealt today. Their dragon counterparts followed close by.

* * *

The alliance was doing well now, thanks to the help of the Dragoons. The zombie forces were depleting, but they still had a ways to go. Besides, Zackwell could revive them at any time, but Sean seemed to be keeping him distracted, as well as the Chaos Dragon.

The rest of the Dragoons spent their time eliminating mass numbers of zombie warriors.

Nagasil was mourning over the loss of his comrades, but he fought on in their honor. The Dragoons did the same. Still, there was the matter of Norgoth's spirit. It hadn't been found. Norgoth probed the minds of the zombies, but there were far too many and none of them had any answers. Still he searched on. Then, the worst happened.

A sharp pain shot through his flank. Nagasil roared in pain and looked down at the open wound. He looked around for a perpetrator, but couldn't find one. Another attack knocked his head to the side. He cringed, but started searching minds for his attacker. To his surprise, he couldn't find him.

A beam blew Nagasil onto his side. He looked up and saw his attacker floating in the air. Nagasil tried to read his mind, but he was too powerful, it seemed.

"And just who are you supposed to be?" He seethed.

The attacker smirked. "Can't you read my mind?"

Nagasil's eyes narrowed. He was an expert at bending the mind, but had little physical strength to speak of. The attacker struck again, digging deep into Nagasil's side. He knew he was helpless, so he cried out for help in his mind.

The attacker put his hands together and created a great black beam. The attack lanced out and struck Nagasil on his neck. It was agonizing, but Nagasil could do nothing to stop it. The attacker's red eye began to glow, gathering a tremendous amount of power. With a great flash, Nagasil's head was blown from his neck. Both pieces fell to the ground. The last dragon had fallen.

The attacker flew down to Nagasil's head and struck his eye, removing the sage green Dragoon Spirit. A beam suddenly struck him in the temple. The flash blinded him for a second and something stabbed his arm, taking the Dragoon Spirit away. The attacker rubbed his eyes and looked up, seeing a wingly fly off as the Dragoons began to gather. They all recognized him.

"Chris!" Christie exclaimed. He just smiled.

"Lovely." Ben muttered. He looked at Nagasil's fallen body and couldn't help the emotion building up in his throat. "Now there's none."

Robert was furious.

Marian looked at Caron. "You have his Dragoon Spirit?"

"Yes." She replied. "Sorry I was nearly too late."

"Where have you been?" Mike asked.

"Dealing with Darteth. Thankfully, he'll no longer be a problem. His own words got his soul shredded."

"You mean you got rid of him for good?" Brad clarified.

"It wasn't easy, but yes."

_That's impressive._ A voice said. Caron looked around.

"Who said that?"

"Said what?" Melissa asked.

_I think I can use you._

Caron looked down at the Dragoon Spirit as it began to glow. The flow of power was virtually harmless to her, being a wingly of such strong magic. Still, she would later admit the thrill of it. Her silver wings became like those of a Dragoon as sage green armor covered her body in the typical fashion. Her weapon converted to a more elegant one, with twin snakes wrapping around the pole of her spear, which gained a curve to its shape.

Caron looked over her form, pleased as one could be. However, she quickly remembered the more pressing matter: The Prince of Darkness.

Chris glared up at them all, ready to destroy any one of them. Christie flew forward. "Chris…please try to listen to me."

"He can't hear you." Chris mocked.

"Alright." Christie tried to work with what she had. "What do you call yourself then?"

He thought about it. "Z works. What's in a name?"

"Then Z, let me tell you now, that you have no hold on my son!"

Z laughed. "You have no idea how much of a hold I have on him."

She drew an arrow. "Then allow me to break it."

"You have no power this time, White-Silver Dragoon. The pact Chris made binds him to me forever…unless, of course, you're willing to sacrifice his friends."

"Shut up!" Christie fired her arrow. Z took the hit and laughed.

"Come on. Let's dance." He fired a beam right back at her. She moved and dove in for an attack. All the Dragoons dove in for the attack, save for Sean. Just as they gathered, a massive energy ball suddenly blasted them all away.

Z turned to his helper.

"Save a little for me, boy!" Melbu Frahma laughed. The Dragoon recognized his enhanced form, a nightmare they'd all lived the first time they saved the world. He was going to be much deadlier now.

"Come on, Melbu!" Ben shouted, jumping back into the air. "You want us? Come get us!"

Melbu and Z charged at the eleven Dragoons.

* * *

A lot of time had passed, they weren't sure. Caleb, Cara, and Nick weren't in the heat of battle. They sat in a jeep, back in the reserve lines, where they'd be safe. They wanted to help, but had been told they couldn't.

Actually…they could.

"Should we do it now?" Nick asked nervously.

"No, not yet." Cara pleaded. "Let's just wait a little longer."

"We've waited too long!" Caleb snapped. "We keep putting this thing off. Who knows who Chris has killed in there? They need him. Everybody needs him! But he's bound to Zackwell's pact! We have to do it now before it's too late!"

Nick fidgeted. "He's right, Cara…we've waited too long."

Tears filled Cara's eyes. "Alright."

Caleb wiped a tear away. "It will only be a second."

"I know." She nodded.

"Okay then." Caleb said, taking a deep breath. "Let's do it quickly…before someone notices."

All three of them had a handgun at their side. They all drew theirs out.

"Ready?" Caleb asked. Their nods were hesitant. Caleb couldn't blame them. "Let's just do it and get it over with, okay? No hesitation, no second thoughts, no nothing…okay?" They nodded. "It's been fun…but we have to do what we have to do…so let's just do it."

Caleb set his gun and the others did the same.

"On the count of three." He said. "One…"

They each put a gun to their head.

"Two…"

No second thoughts. Now or never.

"Three."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: They're taking the battle into their own hands, but at a heavy cost. Will it be enough to change the tides, or is Zackwell still too powerful? Those answers revealed in the next chapter. Stick around!


	25. The End of Zackwell's Reign

OPENING NOTES: Yeah, yeah, I know. It's been forever since I updated. To tell the truth, I had planned on just lettin the story die. I just wasn't feeling it for a while. However, I looked at the reviews I've seen recently and your kind remarks made me change my mind. Besides, I kinda left you in a pivotal moment, didn't I? Heck, I figured, may was well wrap this sucker up. If they like it, yay, if they don't, whatever. So here's the beginning of the end. I have, like...three or four chapters after this, maybe. I'm not positive. Anyway, thanks for your support and here's the next chap. Hope you like it.

Chapter Twenty-Five: The End of Zackwell's Reign

Chris thrashed in the air, clutching his head as three gunshots rang out in his head. In his own internal realm, madness had ensued.

Chris felt the chains of darkness shattering as white and black flashes tore across his spiritual realm.

"What the!" Z.S. demanded, looking around for an answer. Chris didn't wait for on. He just rushed as his counterpart.

* * *

In the midst of the fighting, Sean was suddenly interrupted by the general. They pulled away from the scene to discuss it.

"I just spoke with one of my men on the reserve lines." The general said. He didn't look pleased. "He said that those three kids are dead."

Sean's heart skipped a beat. "Chris's friends?"

"Yeah…they…shot themselves in the head with their own guns."

Sean shook his head. "Why would they…?" He thought for only a second. "CHRISTIE!" He shouted, rushing off.

* * *

"AH!" Zackwell clutched his chest as a searing pain tore through it. He looked down and saw a red X glowing over his heart. "No…" He whispered. "No, no, NO!"

* * *

Christie flew as fast as her wings would carry her, completely ignoring the black masses below threatening all human life. She had only one thing on her mind at the moment. Three lives had just been tossed, and not in battle. What had they been thinking?

"He says they just shot themselves in the head." Sean explained as they flew. "No warning, no nothing, just pulled out their pistols and…what's that?"

Sean asked because he saw a light in the distance. They kept flying until they arrived at the spot where the three teens had taken their lives. The light was coming from Jenn, the Life Dragoon.

"What are you…?" Christie began to ask, but she saw it only a second later. Cara, Nick, and Caleb opened their eyes, completely surprised to be doing so, even more so to see that they were lying in pools of their own blood.

Caleb sat up and looked around. "Did it…not work?"

"It worked alright." Jenn said. "I just reversed it. Such is the power of the Life Dragon."

Christie looked them all over. "Did you all know that she would come and save you?"

They looked at one another and slowly shook their heads. Christie did the same, looking downward. "What were you _thinking_!" White sparks surged along Christie's armor, displaying her anger. "You just…took your lives like that! Why would you do that!"

"Because Zackwell was bound to them."

All eyes turned up to the voice above them. A familiar figure hovered in the sky, flapping his newly-colored white wings. "Zackwell promised they would not be harmed, and the Demon's Pact binds him to his word; not even he can cheat it, nor any other demon. If something happened to them, I would be released from his evil grasp, so thinking foolishly," he gave them all a sneer, "they took their lives to ensure my freedom."

"Foolishly?" Caleb scoffed. "Who's really foolish, Chris? You're the one who can save the world, but you'll destroy it under Zackwell's grip."  
"We're glad that you care for us that much," Nick said, "but we're only three people. There are a lot more out there counting on you!"

"The world is more important than we are, Chris!" Cara put in. "You have to save them, not us, and since you couldn't see that…we had to show you ourselves. We're ready to die if it means keeping the world safe, but you have to live, and live freely!"

"She's right." Sean said. "You have more power than you know."

"So I've heard." Chris replied with a disapproving tone. "But it wasn't meant for good."

"Who cares what it was meant for?" Christie snapped. "Make it your own!"

"You think it's so easy to avoid fate!" He replied.

"No one said it was easy." Sean admitted. "I'm just saying it's possible."

"How do you know?"

"Because eight people defied the creator Soa and fate itself when they fought the Virage Embryo, 800 years ago. Look how they turned out."

Chris looked at the ground, his mind full of rampant thoughts. After a long period of consideration, he finally looked towards the battle.

"Come on. Let's finish this."

* * *

Ben, Mike, and Robert slammed against Melbu Frahma with their weapons, pushing with all their might. Melbu pressed right back, exploiting all the power of the Virage Embryo to his advantage. With it, he was able to withstand their attacks and counter them, sending them all flying back.

"You won't stop me this time, nothing will!" Melbu seethed. He turned to block Brad's attack, intended for surprise, but it only accomplished a countering punch. A white light struck him and he looked up. Chris dove down and struck him in the chest with his spear.

"You all distract Zackwell!" He told the Dragoons. "I'll take care of Melbu!"

Sean okayed the order and they all took off, destroying what they could along the way.

"Your position has made you arrogant, boy." Melbu chuckled when they were alone, save for the chaos. "You may have been born for power, but you don't know how to tap it. Either way, don't think I will be an easy victim."

"Zackwell could kill you in a second if he really wanted to." Chris pointed out. "What makes you think I couldn't do the same?"

"I already admitted you were powerful, but I also already told you why you can't defeat me with it: you don't know how to tap it…or you're too afraid to."

Chris took a very deep breath. The blade of his spear began to glow a frightening shade of red.

* * *

Every Dragoon was focusing on the one target they had left to worry about: Zackwell. They threw everything they had at him and he threw it all back, facing off against the Dragon Knights one more time. Someone was going down today, be it him or them. Zackwell kept reminding himself that he was immortal. He would later find it odd that he had to keep reassuring himself.

Blocking Sean's sword yet again, he pressed back, emitting a black shockwave the knocked his foes back so he could fire at them again with his dark magic, only to be quickly healed by Christie's or Jenn's light. It would be a battle that would go on for ages, they all thought.

In the midst of it, Zackwell's head suddenly snapped away from the Dragoons as a tremor ran through his spirit. Only a second later, there was a massive explosion of magical power that blew the warriors on either side to the ground. Some were decimated, several were wounded, but most got back up, dazed and confused. The Dragoons and Zackwell were tossed a bit, but stayed in the air.

"What was that!" They all asked. Zackwell knew, but he wasn't about to say it to the Dragoons.

Chris suddenly flew over to them and said it himself. "Melbu Frahma is gone for good. His soul is destroyed."

"That makes me very happy." Ben said with a grin.

"Makes you sad, doesn't it, Zackwell?" Robert mocked.

The demon lord sneered. Once again, he was haunted by the fact that he'd borrowed that soul. Lucifer was not going to be happy, no matter what Zackwell did. His fists clenched tightly.

"SHUT UP!" He rushed at Robert, who moved away. He slashed at the Dragoon some more, completely oblivious of Sean's increasing firepower.

"DIVINE DRAGON CANNON!" He unleashed his cannon attack, which blew the unsuspecting Zackwell to the ground.

Sean spoke to his followers. "We have our kids back, our spirits back, and Chris is freed. All our objectives are completed. To top it off, Melbu and Darteth are long gone. That's enough for me."

"I don't believe in overkill," General Sanders said, "but you're the Dragoon Leader. Let's move out!"

He spread the word across the troops and everyone began to slowly leave Mayfil in a full retreat. The Dragoons used their power to quickly destroy any followers so that everyone could flee in safety.

Zackwell peeled himself off the ground, but stayed on his knees and looked up. They were leaving, all of them. The Dragoons, the winglies, the gigantos, the humans, all of them were leaving, most of them still alive. They had come into his stronghold, destroyed his forces, took back everything that was theirs, and now they were leaving Mayfil, as if to mock him.

Zackwell glared at the ground. He'd had them, he'd had them all! He'd held their Dragoon Spirits in his hand. He'd held Chris in his grasp. He'd had them all wrapped around his fingers. He'd been on top, at a level he thought they'd never reach in a million years. They were powerless, wingless, hopeless, and scattered across an unforgiving land.

But now…everything had changed. He wasn't back to where he'd started, he was further behind than ever before. He looked up at the retreating mass.

No…not now. He couldn't go back like this. They'd done well, but they still had one obstacle left to deal with: him.

They were nearly to the gates when a massive column of dark power blocked off the exit.

"NO ONE IS GOING ANYWHERE!" Zackwell's voice boomed.  
In the blink of an eye, the zombie warriors suddenly dissipated into black sand, which swirled around the great black column. When it had all gathered, the column converged into a great, black orb, which traveled over their heads and back to the castle. The structure crumbled upon impact, but did not fall to the ground. It only fell a few feet before going back up into the black orb that was Zackwell. All of Mayfil's energy seemed to be siphoned into the orb. The energy within it swelled to uncontainable levels.

Suddenly, the orb erupted outwards, leaving behind a massive, gargoyle form that emitted a tremendous roar of might that shook the land and pierced the ears, minds, and souls of every man, woman, and child on the planet.

It was a scream Sean remembered very well. He lowered his arm to see what was awaiting him, and it was a sight he'd hoped he would never see again.

Zackwell had transformed into his final form once again. He was far larger than he had been, and far fiercer. He flexed his claws, long and deadly and looked up at the Dragoons with the same sadistic, lunatic grin that he had given Sean four years ago. He'd once again given up his very essence in exchange for power beyond any demon's wildest dreams.

Everyone stared at the monster, too frightened to say anything. They all readied their weapons, but knew they would be futile.

"Now what?" Ben asked.

"Only one thing can stop him." Sean said. "The Ultimate Dragoon will stand a fighting chance. I'll need the powers of all the dragons."

"It nearly killed you last time." Melissa said. "And now there are more powers for you to harness. What if…?" She didn't want to say it.

Sean put his hands on her shoulders. "It's for the good of the world, Babe. I have to try."

She knew he was right, so he said nothing more.

"You heard him!" Robert said. The Dragoons all descended to the ground and let their powers leave them. Twelve Dragoon Spirits slowly floated up into the sky and surrounded Sean. The circled him for a moment and one by one, sank into his chest.

Sean grinded his teeth, but it was futile, the pain was far too much to bear. With a loud bellow, the power overtook him. Flashes of every Dragoon color engulfed him and hid him from the crowd.

Zackwell, or what was left of him, analyzed the situation and began preparing. He wouldn't lose this time. His split jaw spread into two different directions as he roared, hands held high. From beneath the sands of Mayfil, the Ultimate Skull Demon emerged, towering over the city with a taste for souls.

The transformation finished and Sean floated in the sky, more magnificent than ever, with five new powers added to his arsenal. His armor was greater, his cannon larger, and the power radiated off of his body. Sean opened his eyes and didn't see opponents. He saw targets.

Zackwell struck first, if only to remind Sean what he was up against. In a dash faster than any eye could catch, he moved behind Sean and struck him. Sean's armor protected him from death, but could not nullify the pain. The Skull Demon struck from there, knocking him higher into the air and snapped down with his jaws. Sean spread his arms to stop the monster from chewing down on him and a beam lanced from the center eye of his armor, blasting the back of its throat.

Sean escaped, but knew he would have trouble with two foes.

"Dragons," he said, "I might need a hand."

_We're not sure that would work._ The dragons responded as one. _The Skull Demon knows our weakness and could easily exploit it and our efforts would be in vain. Besides, calling us all would be extraordinarily risky to you, more so than we are willing to attempt._

"Then how do I-?"

The Skull Demon lunged at him again. A white light suddenly knocked its head back. Chris floated back down next to Sean.

"I'll take care of the Skull Demon. You focus your strengths on Zackwell!"

Sean nodded. "Appreciate it."

The four of them went at it.

Zackwell was fast and mighty, but Sean was also tough and would not fall to his constant attacks. Sean gave a few powerful blows of his own, but none powerful enough to topple the beast.

Chris faced off against the monstrous Skull Demon, a hundred times his size. However, Chris had a powerful bloodline and was very fast.

The Skull Demon swung a mighty hand at Chris, but he swung his spear against it and won the duel. The Skull Demon recoiled in pain and struck again, but Chris again conquered it. Chris fired a white beam that stunned the beast, but only for a second. He charged and knocked it onto his back. Chris reeled back and dove down. The Skull Demon smacked him away.

Chris bounced right back from the hit and sliced the Skull Demon's face. It roared and jumped to its feet, tackling Chris. The demon slammed him into the ground and punched him several times before throwing him into the air. It gathered a great energy ball in its hand and prepared to fire.

But Chris came back from the attack far too quickly. He tossed his spear downward, glowing with energy. It struck into the energy ball and caused it to explode prematurely, right in the Skull Demon's face. Chris flew down to hurt it some more.

Zackwell rushed at Sean, full of fury. Sean swung his great blade to meet him. Zackwell clutched the blade as it swung, preventing injury, even as Sean continued to press against him. Zackwell snapped his great jaws, trying to sever Sean's upper half. Sean pointed his cannon and fired random elemental shots like a gattling gun, pummeling Zackwell's stomach.

The massive demon roared right in Sean's face until it could take the bombardment no more and shoved Sean away, firing a black ball from its mouth to bring Sean to the ground. Sean flipped and landed on his feet, then flapped his great wings to jump back into the air and counter Zackwell's next move.

The battle lasted over an hour. The other Dragoons ushered the allied army out of Mayfil, for they knew the battle would get severe, but they didn't go so far that they couldn't see.

Sean hit Zackwell's head with his blade, but the mad monster retaliated with a mighty punch. Sean regained himself, but knew he couldn't defeat Zackwell this way. Suddenly, there was a great light blast. Sean and Zackwell turned to see the Skull Demon in pieces, which fell to the ground and dissipated upon impact.

Zackwell looked around for Chris, but couldn't find him until it was too late. Chris shot by in a white ray and struck Zackwell as he did so. Then, he came back and hit him again, then four more times. Finally, he came up behind Zackwell and shot out four light ropes, one for each limb. He grabbed Zackwell and placed his foot on his back, then pulled as hard as he could.

His awesome strength held the demon, though not very tightly.

"NOW!" Chris shouted. "FINISH HIM!"

Sean knew exactly what to do. He held his cannon up and began filling it with every type of Dragoon power. A great blast readied itself at the tip of his cannon.

Zackwell thrashed about like the mad monster he was. Chris gave it all his might and then some to hold him in place. His veins were glowing with the power he was emitting and the strain he was putting on his own body. Magical vapors were hissing off of him, but he wouldn't quit, no matter what. Zackwell was going down this time, no matter what it took.

Sean finished powering up. He only hoped Chris was quick enough to get out of the way or strong enough to take the blast.

In the thrashing, Chris saw Sean aiming. He utilized every muscle in his body and every ounce of power to put Zackwell in place.

"So ends your reign, Zackwell." He smirked.

As the beast foresaw its doom, it turned its head slightly and spoke but three words with a sneer and a smirk that only Zackwell's final form could muster.

"Omni." Sean whispered, unleashing his attack. A small green orb shot from his cannon. Chris moved as fast as his wings would carry him. He shot over Zackwell, over the orb, and tackled Sean in midair just as the explosion began.

* * *

The allied army saw the phenomenal explosion and felt the shockwaves. While they fought to keep their footing, two figures crashed nearby. Everyone got down and waited to the explosion to subside, which it did not for a good five minutes. When it did, the gates of Mayfil had been destroyed and the city was dead, one more a miserable heap of nothing.

The Dragoons turned to the two who had come crashing through. Chris had rolled off of Sean, whose powers had long since left him and who lay unconscious amidst the Dragoon Spirits on the ground. Chris was too tired to notice any of this and just lay on his back, trying to regain his own strength.

Melissa ran to Sean and knelt down next to him. "Come on, get up." She said. He didn't stir. She lay her head on his chest. He was breathing. "Christie! Over here!"

Christie was already searching around Sean's body. "Where's my Dragoon Spirit!"

Several eyes searched the ground until Ben snatched it up. "Catch!" Christie snagged it and knelt down by Sean, shining her light upon him.

In mere seconds, Sean's eyes began to flutter open. He looked at the many people surrounding him and asked one simple question.

"I just blew up Mayfil for the second time…go away…let me sleep." He closed his eyes again.

* * *

With a heavy thud, Zackwell hit the ground. He cried out and writhed from the impact. He'd fallen all the way to the black flame layer of Hell and landed on his face. The pain would quickly become the least of his worries.

"You IDIOT!" A furious voice erupted.

Zackwell jumped to his knees and stared up at a very angry Lucifer.

"No, wait!" Zackwell begged. "Let me explain!"

Lucifer would not. "You had them in the palm of your hand! You had them at their absolute weakest! You had them within inches of complete annihilation! You had the Dragoon Spirits! They were POWERLESS! You could have destroyed them then and there, but did you! NO!"

Flames roared off of Lucifer's body. Zackwell crawled backwards, full of fear.

"My Lord-"

"You let your pride get in the way AGAIN! You toyed with them, playing a game. The Dragoons are MASTERS of games, you fool! They played it perfectly and cornered you in your own city! And that's only the beginning of your failure!"

Zackwell could not remember when he had been more afraid.

"Not only did they make it to the finish line alive, but they brought OTHERS with them! They massed an unstoppable allied army and marched against you without fear! The undid every advantage you had! They took their children back without hardly a hitch! And not only did they get their Dragoon spirits back from you, but they _ADDED-TO-THEIR-NUMBERS!_" The flames were unbearable even to Zackwell.

"And that's not all! You borrowed the souls of Melbu Frahma and Darteth. Thanks to your blundering, THEY WERE DESTROYED! Even Anna was lost under your control! And to top off this list of failures, the ONE good idea you had, that hybrid child, IS ONCE MORE FIGHTING ON _THEIR_ SIDE! Nothing you do is productive, Zackwell! NO! Not only is it unproductive, IT MAKES EVERYTHING WORSE! All these years, I have NEVER seen a demon fail me so many times, much less so MISERABLY! You are failure embodied, Zackwell! Never again will you fail me, Zackwell, because never again will you see the light of day!"

"My Lord Lucifer!" Zekiel begged. "Just listen!"

"I've heard enough!" Lucifer extended his hand and flames roared from them, shoving Zackwell backwards until he hit a wall. The flames quickly died and a barred door closed.

Zackwell quickly realized where he was.

"No…" He walked to the bars and grabbed them. "No!" He shook them as violently as he could, but they wouldn't even wobble. "No, NO! _NOOOO!_"

"You're beyond useless." Lucifer walked away.

"NNNOOOO!" Zackwell bellowed. "IT'S NOT OVER YET!" He shook against the bars again. "YOU STILL NEED ME!"

Lucifer turned his head. "That's why I haven't destroyed you yet." He smirked. "See you then." He left Zackwell to his torture.

Chris spilled the air from his wings and landed in the dirt. Wow. This place had seen better days. Or worse ones, depending on how one looked at it.

He was in Mayfil…or what was left of it. He wasn't even sure it qualified to have a name anymore.

* * *

Chris trudged along aimlessly. How long had it been? He searched his mental calendar. Eight-no-Nine months…last week. Lots can happen in such a time, Chris realized.

The Dragoons settled down and got back to "regular" lives. Zackwell's fire raid had taken some time to clean up, but it all worked out in the end. Now, they were working on rebuilding another city: Ulara.

The winglies of the woods agreed to help rebuild the city for all of them to inhabit. It would take a long time, but winglies were skilled craftsmen. The Dragoons helped whenever they could, but Caron asked that no other humans get involved, though many volunteered.

"We appreciate the help," she had said, "but we winglies have our own way of designing things." Everyone could agree with that. Even though she was a Dragoon now, Caron knew that Ulara was her home, and she had responsibilities to tend to, so she would stay with them, but would gladly serve the Dragoons in their time of need.

The same went with General Sanders. He had his own duties to fulfill, but would come when the Dragoons needed him, as would the army, he assured them.

Jenn and Marian quickly became accustomed to their powers, but wished they had something to use them on.

As for Chris, he was picking up where he had left off, learning about how to live like a human once more. He was still great friends with Caleb and Nick, but had become very popular after all that had happened. Many girls gave him their affections, but he was in love with Cara.

Although every now and then, she would say that Chris was acting a little more distant than usual. He tried to prove otherwise, but it was hard to shake certain thoughts.

Was that why he was here now? Fear? Foreboding? He didn't know.

Chris's foot suddenly kicked something. He looked down, but couldn't see the object under all the dirt. He knelt down and brushed it off, then froze upon seeing it.

Zackwell's scythe. Here it lay, right in the middle of Mayfil. But why? Zackwell was long gone, yet his scythe remained. It didn't make sense.

For reasons he would never fully understand, Chris reached out and wrapped his hands around the handle. He slowly stood, staring at the scythe in his hand. Kind of symbolic, now that Zackwell was gone, he held the scythe.

Suddenly, the eyes of the skull lit up. Dark power swarmed across the scythe and crawled up Chris's arm. He cried out in pain as power was forced from him and into him. The scythe continued to shimmer in all its might.

The ground began to shake violently as twin red beams shot into the ground from the skeleton's eyes. Suddenly, great structures began shooting out of the ground at tremendous speed and number. They stretched up high and stood proud. Chris watched in horror as Mayfil began to rebuild itself piece by piece.

He couldn't help but remember the last part of the great battle, when he'd held Zackwell in place.

"So ends your reign, Zackwell." He had said with pride. Zackwell had merely smirked and responded with three chilling words:

"So begins yours."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Nope, it's not over, folks. Chris still has his own battles to fight. It all hits the fan in the final few chapters. Thanks again for your encouragement and please keep it coming.

Also, for all you fan's of Spike's "Legacy from the Ashes," he's finally started updating again. His files weren't working, so he kinda was forced to go hiatus, just yesterday, everything started working again. Chapter Three is finally up for your viewing pleasure. Please read it and review for him.


	26. Crooked Reflection

OPENING NOTES: To Adamer-the story should be done by year's end. Just outta curiosity, why won't you be able to read anymore?

General Leome: Yeah, there's three other parts, actually :D.

Anonymous, dragonspirit90: 1: that will be revealed later. 2: he was destroyed...right??? 3: Yeah, writer's block nailed me. I'll try better next time.

Shouwa: Trust me, I'm going as slow as possible :D

Thanks to everyone for their support. Enjoy!!

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Six: Crooked Reflection

Zackwell fell before Lucifer in a miserable heap. He had been tossed after being dragged to Lucifer's lair. Slowly, he looked up at the malevolent presence standing before him.

"Hello, Zackwell," he mocked. "I hope you've been comfortable these past nine months."

Zackwell was too weak to make any remarks at all. He'd barely heard what Lucifer had said. No, these past nine months had not been pleasant and Lucifer knew it. The demon prison was no resort. Endless torture befell Zackwell every day, although it was impossible to keep track of time in Hell. Every day, he swore the nine months had passed unnoticed. However, now, what seemed like eons later, he was on his face before Lucifer.

One more chance to set things right.

"Get up." Lucifer commanded.

Zackwell was desperate to obey. He forced himself to his shaky feet and looked at Lucifer with dulled eyes, though they still held onto this one last spark.

"The time has come and you said we needed you. I find you to be a liar, Zackwell." Lucifer's eyes narrowed.

"What…what do you mean?" Zackwell asked wearily.

Lucifer turned to the many screens on display in his chamber. They all showed the reconstruction of Mayfil as Chris stood there powerless to stop it.

"You left an heir to your throne and now he has assumed your responsibility."

"He has merely picked up the scythe." Zackwell retorted. "It acted upon instinct. He will not accept the responsibility. Just watch."

Lucifer turned back to the screens.

* * *

Chris tried over and over to let go of the scythe, but his hand was forced around it, the darkness of his body being drawn from it. Mayfil was piecing itself back together with perfect precision. He felt its evil presence beginning to take hold again.

The worst had yet to come.

When the city finished rebuilding itself, all was silent for a second, though Chris was still unable to release the scythe. Suddenly, the eyes on the skull glowed again and fired many rays into the ground around Chris. The earth shook once more as fifteen more structures came out of the ground. When it stopped, the scythe's eyes stopped glowing and fell silent.

Chris threw the scythe to the ground and made sure that he was still himself. He was. He looked up at the last few structures that had come out. He counted fifteen of them, not much taller than he was, black and ovular. Conveniently, they all formed a large Z in the ground.

Chris took a better look at the structures. On one side of all of them, there was a glass cover. He slowly approached the nearest one and looked through the glass. At first, Chris thought his image was being mirrored. But then, he noticed the differences. The hair wasn't long enough and the nose wasn't right. Plus, the chin seemed a little larger than his own. Plus, this creature was sleeping.

Slowly, Chris stepped backwards. No, no way.

He looked at all the pods, for that's what they were. In each one, a new version of himself slept. They looked much like him with white and black hair, but their appearances were all slightly different. They weren't him, but they looked like they could be his brothers.

Chris was beginning to realize what lay before him. Some way, some how, Zackwell had done it again. He'd found out how to make another hybrid between light and darkness.

Fifteen of them.

Chris didn't know how they had come to be, but he knew they would not be as friendly as he was. Zackwell was starting all over, fifteen-fold. He had to stop them from waking up. They were still dormant, so he figured he had a chance.

Quickly, Chris ran to one leg of the Z and powered up an attack. Thrusting both hands forward, he shot a great white beam that ripped through the row of pods, leaving them in smoke and darkness. He hopped to another leg and destroyed those pods, then to the final leg and made sure to destroy them, too.

In only a few seconds, it was over. The pods were destroyed, along with the creatures inside. Chris's heart began returning to a normal speed. The thought of another version of himself was frightening enough, but fifteen of them would be too much.

He let out a heavy sigh of relief. "That…was…way too close."

"I agree."

Chris didn't want to look up, but knew he had to. As he had feared, there was something walking out of the smoke. He was the first version that Chris had seen through the glass. Now, he was walking towards him, but stopped with plenty of distance between them.

Looking at this creature, Chris now felt the horror that the Dragoons felt upon seeing him for the first time. He knew what kind of power lay within this being, and he feared it.

"Judging by your appearance and the fact that you brought me to the surface," the creature said, "you must be the original."

Chris was ready to fight at any second. "I suppose I am."

"Mm. Do you know who I am?"

"I have an idea. You look a lot like me, but you're not me. Plus, you called me 'the original.' Zackwell found a way to make more of hybrids, didn't he?"

The hybrid nodded. "That's exactly it. While you were under his control, he took a sample of your DNA. Making a few alterations here and there, he created many different versions of you, at least in appearance. Our powers are much like yours…or what yours used to be. Unlike you, we have not given up our dark sides, and thus, can access our true potential."

"You keep saying 'we,'" Chris noted, "but I only see one of you."

The hybrid looked around at the destroyed pods. "Yes, you've done a marvelous job of destroying my brethren…_your_ brethren."

"But I missed one." Chris's spear appeared in his hand.

"Yes, you did. Now, from what I've been programmed to know, you no longer accept that darkness, correct?"

"Correct."

"So then you deny your heritage to Zackwell?"

"Every last bit of it."

The hybrid smiled. "Good…then I'll take it." He stretched out his hand and Zackwell's scythe lifted up from the ground and moved to his hand. As soon as he grasped it, the scythe sprang to life, full of evil energy that swarmed across the hybrid's body.

"First order of business:" He said, expanding his white and black wings, "Kill the original."

He flew at Chris and clashed blades with him. Chris was quickly overpowered and knocked onto his back. The hybrid teleported and kicked him into the air, then teleported again and slashed at him. Chris blocked and shot a white beam at him, stunning him long enough to slash his chest. The hybrid took the hit as if it were nothing and spun into a kick.

Chris skidded along the ground, but quickly got to his feet and blocked many strikes aiming for him. This creature was fast, but so was he. Chris blocked another strike and retaliated with countless strikes at blinding speed. Several were blocked, but the hybrid was cut up many times nonetheless. Of course, they all instantly healed.

It dawned on Chris then: how was he supposed to beat this creature? He could regenerate just like Zackwell could. Chris, however, could not.

Well, actually…no, never mind, no.

The hybrid lunged again, dealing plenty of strikes, but none that could get through to Chris. The boy countered with plenty of attacks, but not one hit its target. Finally, the hybrid broke through and punched Chris in the head, then gave many kicks to his chest and blasted him away with a dark beam.

Chris allowed the hit to take him far away. Upon landing, he fired a long white beam that pierced the hybrid, but didn't do much to him. Chris shot back at him, swinging his spear all around, but couldn't lay a mark on him.

"I don't have time for this!" The hybrid unleashed his dark power and let it overwhelm him. He began attacking like a madman, giving dozens of hits that Chris could neither block nor counter. He could only take the hits as they came.

The hybrid knocked him to the ground and swung his scythe downward, in attempt to impale him. Chris crossed his arms and put up a white shield. The hybrid pressed down hard, bending the shield a bit. Chris put all he had into his defenses-his life depended on them.

"You can't win this fight." The hybrid said, pressing harder. "I am immortal. You gave up that gift. I can kill you, but you cannot kill me." He chuckled. "Such are the consequences of becoming a human."

Chris filled himself with the power of light and expelled it upward, launching The hybrid into the air. Then, he took to the skies and flew away as fast as he could. The hybrid was right. He couldn't win.

Before he got far, something gripped his wings. Pressing his foot on Chris's back, the hybrid ripped Chris's wings right out of his back. Chris hollered in unbelievable pain, only to be met with more as he hit the ground hard. The hybrid landed with ease and took his time walking up to his opponent.

Chris could barely move without sending an unbearable jolt of pain through his spine. He struggled to get to his knees, hollering through his teeth as he did. Looking up, Chris saw the hybrid coming right for him, swinging his scythe.

Gathering all his courage and might, Chris blocked the attack and laid as many countering strikes as he could, just to made the creature hesitate, then emitted a tremendous white light that forced the hybrid to turn away, shielding his eyes. When it finally died, Chris was merely a speck in the distance, running at full speed.

* * *

Lucifer rubbed his chin. "Impressive…but so was the last one."

"Fear not, my Lord." Zackwell said. "This new batch is specially programmed to be obedient, and their darkness has been enhanced. They're more like robots than anything else…dark robots, of course."

"But only one of them lived." Lucifer turned around.

"One is all I need." Zackwell smiled. "You'll see soon enough."

"You're saying this one can undo everything you have done?"

"More or less." Zackwell chuckled.

"Well, then…what do I need you for?"

Zackwell's smile slowly slipped away. "What? But you…but it was my creation!"

"You're not useful with any creation or any plan. I will let this creature take your place as King of Darkness on Earth and you shall be destroyed."

Zackwell tried backing away, but two guard demons held him in place. "No, no! Wait!!"

Suddenly, one of the screens turned to a demon guard.

"My Lord Lucifer! We have an intruder!"

Lucifer turned. "What do you mean an intruder?!"

"Someone has just entered the Abyss and is passing through the blue level as I speak!"

"Who in their right mind would _enter_ this place?!" Lucifer looked up, sensing the intruder's presence. He was not afraid, merely curious.

Something passed through the black layer and entered Lucifer's domain. He landed between Lucifer and Zackwell and got down on one knee, giving a respectful bow. It was the hybrid Lucifer had just seen.

"My Lord Lucifer." He said. "It is an honor." He stood up tall and proud once more.

Lucifer crossed his arms. "Five minutes on earth and already you're showing your might. But why are you here, and without an appointment?"

"Forgive my intrusion, but I knew my father's existence was at stake."

"Is that so?" Lucifer glared at Zackwell, who could only smile in relief.

"I've come to request Zackwell's release."

"And just how do you plan on doing that? If you thought you were going to fight your way through Hell, you're more foolish than your father."

The hybrid chuckled. "Of course not. I've come to negotiate."

"You must have a grand case if you think you can get him out of here alive."

"My existence is proof enough of Zackwell's genius. I am not bound by the moral threads the original was. I will be far more efficient than he was."

"And do you think you can destroy the Dragoons?"

"Of course, in less than a week."

"That's quite a claim. I'll tell you what. If you can do that, I'll let Zackwell live. If not, I will destroy him. Your fate will be considered afterwards depending on your actions. I want them _all_ destroyed, not one, not ten, _all_ of them."

"I assure you it will be done."

Lucifer sat in his great chair. "Do you have a name?"

The hybrid thought. "Call me Zack. It's good enough."

"Obvious." Lucifer muttered. "Alright then, Zack. You already have your father's scythe, so keep it. You shall be named King of Darkness on Earth. All the powers and abilities of that title shall now belong to you. If your claim is correct, the Dragoons will finally be out of my hair in a very short time."

"Trust me, my Lord, you will be pleasantly surprised."

"But first," Lucifer continued, "you must erase your father's mistake, the original hybrid, now going by the name Chris. He gave up the power of darkness, but it still resides within him. He still has the potential to ruin everything, but he is mortal now. Destroy him and _then_ the Dragoons. _All_ of them. I will not settle for anything less than perfection."

Zack bowed once more. "It will all be done, my Lord."

* * *

The Dragoons had been training as usual when Chris came tearing through the forest. Robert and Ben had been in mid-spar with Ben having the upper hand when they heard the rustling of bushes and branches.

Chris burst through the branches, completely out of breath and energy. He finally stopped and tried to stay on his knees as he gasped for air.

"Chris?" Christie rushed to him. "What is it?"

He couldn't speak. His legs finally caved and he fell to his knees. In this position, the Dragoons saw the blood streaking down his back.

"Oh my God!" Christie exclaimed, kneeling down to him and shining her Dragoon Spirit on his back. "What happened?!"

Even though he had already healed what he could, Chris took the moment to enjoy the soothing light after running with the pain for so long. Besides, he was still to weary to speak.

"Take it easy," Ben instructed, putting his hand on Chris' shoulder. The boy cringed at that and Ben recoiled.

"What happened to him?" Brittany asked.

"Let's find out." Christie started to lift up the back of his shirt, but he cried out.

"Gently!" Chris was able to exclaim. "Slowly!"

Christie heeded his words and was as careful as only she could be. When Chris's shirt was up around his shoulders, Christie could see that most of the blood had dried and the wounds looked closed, but the scars were not a pleasant sight.

"What happened to you?" Christie asked.

Starting to regain his oxygen, Chris answered. "I've been clipped." He breathed again. "My wings were…torn off…very painfully."

"Geez." Robert whistled. "By who?"

Chris held up his hand so he could fully recover before being able to answer. Slowly and laboriously, he got to his feet.

"Guys…we…have a…pretty big…problem. There's, uh…another hybrid out there."

"Another hybrid?" Sean raised a brow. "Tell me that doesn't mean what I think it does."

"I'm afraid it does." Chris nodded. "It's…basically like me…only when I was evil. And I don't think there's…any chance that this guy will join us. He's a little…darker than me."

No one said anything for a moment.

"You're kidding us, right?" Brad asked.

Chris glared at him. "Yep, you got me. I tore out my own wings and made up a story."

Sean ran his fingers through his hair. "Wonderful. So we have a hybrid out and about, meaning he can use both light and dark powers like you once could?"

Chris nodded. "Yeah, and he's swinging around Zackwell's scythe. I think he's the new King of Darkness. No one else can wield it. It was supposed to be me, but I denied it, so the hybrid is using it now, meaning he'll have a lot of the same powers Zackwell had, making him even worse."

"And just how did you stumble upon him?"

"I was walking around Mayfil, or what was left of it, when I found the scythe. I picked it up and it activated. Mayfil has completely rebuilt itself."

"Wonderful _beyond_ wonderful." Sean sighed. "What else?"

"Well, then a whole bunch of pods came up, each one with a hybrid inside."

"Wait up!" Robert jumped. "There's MORE?!"

"No, no! I destroyed them all, I thought, but one survived somehow."

"One is bad enough." Sean said. "Good job at destroying the others, though."

"Thanks, but like you said, one is bad enough."

"With all of us together, we may be able to stop him, though." Melissa said. "I mean we stopped Zackwell, right?"

"Zackwell was enough with only his dark powers." Sean reminded her. "This creature has light powers also. Who knows what it could do?"

Brittany slowly turned to Chris. "He does."

"It's powerful, that's all I know." Chris shrugged. "More so than Zackwell was, I believe, based on what I was supposed to be."

"More powerful than Zackwell?" Jenn repeated.

"It's the bad guy rule." Mike said. "The level of power only elevates to make up for the last one."

"After all that Zackwell put us through, I'd hate to see what this new kid can do." Melissa crossed her arms.

"That's why I want him dead as soon as possible." Sean nodded. "But we're not walking into any traps. If we fight him, he has to come to us, everyone understand? If anyone sees him, call everyone, and I mean _everyone_. I'm not pussyfooting around with this. I don't want to find out how tough he is the hard away. I want to eliminate this threat as soon as it can be eliminated. I want him dead _yesterday_."

Everyone agreed with the plan. No one wanted to go through another psychotic adventure like with Zackwell.

They would quickly discover just how different from Zackwell this new foe was.

* * *

The first difference that the Dragoons would discover was that this creature followed orders. He didn't attack the Dragoons, he attacked Chris, just as he was told to do.

It happened at school. Chris had worked his way back into the system once the school had reopened. He was famous now, since the entire world knew about the events that had taken place. In the past months, though, his fame had died down to a bearable level.

Chris, Cara, Nick, and Caleb had just finished their lunch and were hang around outside the school when he came.

"So he's like you?" Nick was clarifying.

"Only bigger, badder, stronger, and wielding two types of powers as well as Zackwell's and is setting out to kill you?" Caleb furthered.

Chris stared at him. "Somehow, you make bad things sound ten times worse."

"Think you can beat him?" Cara asked.

Chris's silence was answer enough.

"You can think all you want." a voice said. They all spun around to find Zack standing nearby. "I assure you that reality will be very different."

Chris stood up to face him. Zack was grinning.

"Have you heard? I've been crowned King of Darkness!"

"I figured as much," Chris said. "Come to finish what you began?"

Zack nodded. "I don't think it should take too long."

"I pack a little more punch than you may think."

Zack smiled. "Show me." He leapt at Chris swinging a few punches. Chris blocked or evaded them all and swung several of his own, all in futility. Zack swung a low kick, knocking Chris's feet out from under him and then kicked him away. Chris landed and rolled back onto his feet.

Zack jumped for him, but Chris reeled back on his hands and kicked him into the sky. Before he could follow through, Zack teleported and appeared behind Chris with a wide kick. To his surprise, Chris turned and blocked it easily. Both of them landed and Chris was quicker with the punch, although Zack took the hit as though it were nothing. He countered with three powerful swings, but Chris evaded each time.

It became apparent that all his training in light gave Chris one advantage: speed. He was going to milk that advantage for all it was worth.

Chris rushed onto the offensive with a dozen quick punches and kicks. Zack couldn't avoid many of them, but they weren't affecting him like Chris wanted them to. He performed a back flip kick, then shot a white energy ball, blasting Zack onto his back, then slid into a kick.

Zack vanished and reappeared in mid-punch, catching Chris off guard. He jabbed low in Chris's ribs and swung for his face. Chris blocked the last blow and quickly gave an undercut to Zack's belly, then his face. Zack took the next punch and forced Chris back with a black wave, then teleported closer to get in another kick. Chris slid to the side and bashed Zack in the face with his elbow. They both fired a beam at each other at the same time, resulting in a small explosion that knocked both of them back a few feet.

"Good!" Zack complimented. "Very good! You're a lot better than you made yourself out to be last time that we met." Zack stood up straight. "Now…let's see how well you do against…the rest of us."

Zack spread his hands and fourteen columns of black smoke billowed about him. When they settled, Chris was looking at fifteen alternate versions of himself.

They were alive.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: A little shorter than usual, I know, but it would've gone on way too long had I continued. Bad things happening, only to get worse. There's only a few chapters left. How will the world be when it's all over? Please review!

And by the way, Spike's finally updating his story again and he got very few reviews. C'moooon, y'all! Show him some support!


	27. A Fight To the Death and Then Some

OPENING NOTES: To Adamer: Yeowch. Sorry to hear that. I only have, like 3 chapters left, tops, so I should finish by the year's end. In fact, I'll make it a point to. Good luck in the army, dude.

Chapter Twenty-Seven: A Fight to the Death and Then Some

Chris froze solid in shock and terror. Fifteen versions of himself were staring back at him, eyes burning with darkness, smiles etched on their faces.

"What the?!" Chris whispered. "They survived?!"

"Actually, no." Zack said. "They were destroyed by you, but I restored them Don't tell me you forgot about that power!"

Chris groaned. He had.

"So even if you were strong enough, you couldn't stop us. We will keep regenerating. Quit while you can."

Chris shook his head. "Being with the Dragoons has kinda worn the quit out of me."

"Too bad." Zack sighed and pointed to Chris. "Get him."

They all leapt at him. Chris powered up his fist and shot through them with all his might. He successfully blasted through them, but there was no way it was going to be over that easily.

Chris landed and spun, shooting a wide, white arc to knock back the oncoming horde. Several more replaced them. Chris focused on keeping them away, for he couldn't handle them all at once. He punched on in the chest, then kicked him away, then performed a spinning kick to knock back another.

He saw an oncoming attack and reeled back, flipping the attacker over his head and snapped back into place, slamming his fists down on a head. With a mighty spinning kick, four hybrids went flying. Chris dashed through the mass again, getting some more distance.

Chris ducked and spun, slamming a hybrid with a mighty uppercut that shot him into the air and then landed, shooting the same fist outward, blasting two away. He saw one hybrid jumping at him with a kick. Thinking quick, Chris stepped aside and grabbed the extended leg and swung the hybrid around, tossing him into his companions and toppling them.

Zack stood back up and cracked his neck. "Let's step it up."

The hybrids leapt and Chris shot a white wave to meet them, but they all suddenly vanished. He spun to meet them, but they had reappeared on all sides, each swinging a punch. He was crushed from all around and fell to his knees in pain. Even so, Chris shot upwards to escape them. One teleported and grabbed him by the leg, throwing him back down. As he landed, Chris let out a white shockwave that knocked his opponents back.

Gathering his power, Chris charged with his arms spread, emitting a wide, white arc. Some hybrids were hit, but most were ready. One hybrid teleported and reappeared in a kneeling position right in front of Chris. He tripped and before he could hit the ground, a hybrid appeared in front of him and kicked him upward. From then on, it was a teleportation fury. Hybrids appeared one at a time in rapid succession, each dealing a blow and vanishing. Their attacks were too closely spaced for Chris to even hope to counter. Blow by blow, they pushed him back into the nearby wall. Right when his back hit the brick, Zack took the liberty of finishing him. He appeared in front of Chris and dealt a powerful punch that slammed Chris into the wall and shattered the brick behind him. Chris fell from the crater and landed on a knee.

Zack was grinning. "Feeling hopeless yet? You should. Oh, and don't expect any help from your Dragoon friends. They're busy with a diversion we set up over in Ulara." He chuckled. "They think I'm attacking the city. They'll get there and find nothing, then stick around to investigate. The fools! They'll be easy to pick apart once I've defeated you."

"If they're so easy," Chris wheezed, "why haven't you destroyed them already?"

"Following orders. You're first on the list."

"Orders, huh? You sure you're Zackwell's son?"

Zack chuckled. "Quite. I unlocked my potential, while you hid behind your mother. How pathetic! In any case, it's time we ended this. I don't suppose you have any fight left in you."

Chris looked down. Their numbers were boggling his brain. He needed to clear it and shake off the intimidation. Speed wasn't enough. He began thinking hard, trying to find any other advantages he had, even if it didn't necessarily put him on top of them.

One thought crossed his mind. If their numbers were intimidating him, he just had to push numbers out of the picture and just attack anything near.

Chris was wearing a white button up shirt outside of a black t-shirt. He took off the white shirt, wrapped it up nice and thin, and tied it around his head like a blindfold.

"Just what are you doing?" Zack asked.

Chris didn't answer. He just summoned his spear.

Zack scoffed. "Ignorant, _and_ blind. Kill him!"

The hybrids leapt at him. Chris acted quickly and precisely. He wasn't as blind as he appeared to be. In fact, in a way, his sight was improved. He'd relied too much on his eyes before and they failed him. Now, he was seeing in a different light.

Chris turned and smacked a hybrid, knocking him away, he turned and deflected every hybrid coming at him. They stood back up, stunned, but unabated. They rushed again. Chris made the shocking move of running forward to one hybrid, performing a back flip kick and sailing over a hybrid that leapt at him from behind. Chris shot his fist outward, blowing a hybrid far away, then spun and smacked another with his spear.

A hybrid tried to attack, but proved too slow. He knocked the oncoming fist away and spun into a kick, then a stab through the heart. He would undoubtedly get back up, but he was down for a minute. Chris jumped up and turned to the oncoming hybrids. He threw his spear and penetrated three of them with it. He spun and blocked Zack's spinning kick, then planted a few punches on his chest before he countered with one of his own. Chris ducked under and dove, tackling him. Raising his hand, he summoned his spear once more and rammed it through his head.

A hybrid tackled Chris from behind. He rolled and stabbed the hybrid through, then got to his feet, spun around and threw the hybrid into his comrades, knocking several back. A few teleported out of the way and continued their attack. Thinking quickly, Chris swung his spear, shooting a white magical wave to knock them back.

Chris was doing much better now, just trying to keep them away, not destroy them. Still, they kept coming at him, their ferocity growing with every blow.

One of them suddenly planted a great uppercut that knocked Chris into the air. Instead of hitting the ground, Chris landed on the roof of the school. The hybrids hopped up and followed him. Chris jumped up and kicked off two of them, knocking them back down and flipping back to land on the roof. Another hybrid rushed at him. Chris flailed over him, knocking him over the edge as he did. Chris ducked as another rushed and flipped him over his head with his spear, then spun and smacked another away and kicked another back.

With a mighty spinning kick, Chris cleared away three more hybrids. It took Zack to push Chris back. He kicked Chris forward, who flipped back into place and blocked Zack's next move. He tried to kick, but Zack blocked and countered with a jab to the ribs. Chris shot a fist out and punched the face of an oncoming hybrid and then shot his knee up to hit Zack's rib, then performed a spinning kick to knock them both down. Zack reappeared to knock Chris further back. He performed a series of back handsprings until he reached the edge of the roof, from which he gave an incredible leap. It occurred to Chris that he had to get these creatures away from the school.

Chris lifted his makeshift blindfold for a second to see where he was going and decided on the football field. It was big enough for a fight, and empty as of now. Chris ran for it, plowing through the hybrids that got in his way. When he was near, he spun rapidly, spear outward to cut through anyone who tried to stop him. Chris looked past his blindfold once more and leapt into the field.

The hybrids swarmed him, angrier than ever. Chris threw his swiftest and most powerful punches, kicks, and strikes to keep them away, but it would not be enough. He had to destroy them, but how?

A hybrid tripped him and another kicked him into the air. Chris spun and sliced an oncoming hybrid. He landed near the bleachers and jumped back onto them when a hybrid tried to attack. More came and Chris got an idea. He yanked off his blindfold and slid under the bleachers, daring them to follow.

Using his uncharted agility, Chris twisted and turned around the close bars, evading the hybrids, who were not so nimble. Using his environment, Chris was able to strike and evade much easier, ironically. Finally, the hybrids got tired of playing Chris's game. They began plowing through the bleacher stands, toppling them. Chris slid back outside the bleachers and jumped away. He turned to face them, but realized that in the confusion, they had lost him. Chris used this to his advantage and began powering up.

The hybrids tore through the bleachers, furiously searching for their target. At the sound of the whistle, they looked back, seeing Chris holding a glowing energy ball in his hand, smiling. The hybrids ran at him. Chris threw the energy ball at them. Zack, in the front, held his arm up to block the attack, but right when it hit him, the strangest thing happened. Instead of exploding like a normal energy ball, it burst into a series of white strands, which wrapped around the entire group, trying them together in a tangled web.

Chris then revealed a true energy ball, small, yet potent. He leapt over the hybrids and threw it at them. The tiny energy ball erupted in a majestic fury of white light, piercing the hybrids and vanquishing them.

Landing on his feet, Chris ran back to the school as fast as he could, hoping to escape before they decided to come back.

* * *

By the time the hybrids returned in columns of black smoke, Chris was gone. One of them glared at Zack.

"He's stronger than you said he was."

Zack grinded his teeth. "He is experienced. His powers of light exceed our own."

"And he uses them in ways we cannot." Another hybrid mused.

"No matter," Zack spat, "every second we fight him, we learn a little more about him. Besides, without his dark powers, he cannot restore himself. All we need is one good hit. Anyway, there's no such thing as overkill. We'll wait until-"

Suddenly, all of them twitched and put a hand to their head, analyzing the incoming message. In just a few seconds, they all looked up and exchanged malicious grins.

"That wasn't very long now, was it?" Zack chuckled.

"So we strike now!" One hybrid said. "A full-blown assault!"

"No," Zack stopped him, "I have a better plan."

* * *

Once Chris was certain he was out of harm's way, he slowed his running to a steady jog, trying to conserve his energy for if and when they returned. Most of the students had returned outside after fleeing into the building. Chris's friends found him and ran to him.

"Are you okay?!" Cara asked, checking him over.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Chris panted. He looked himself over. "Lost a shirt, though."

Caleb stared. "You nearly got torn apart by fifteen bad guys and you're thinking about your _shirt_?!"

"Why did you tie it around your head, anyway?" Nick asked.

"I was relying too much on my eyes." Chris answered. "With fifteen bad guys coming at me all at once, they wouldn't help. I needed to be able to see all sides of myself, in a sense. So I blindfolded myself to bring out another sense. Since I specialize in light magic, I can sense darkness. I could sense them coming without seeing them, but I had to blind myself to accentuate it."

"Good thinking." Caleb scoffed. "Did you finish them off?"

"That would be a trick indeed." A voice answered. They all turned to see Zack coming down the school building stairs. "Destroy fifteen hybrids with only light magic? Please…"

"Then where are the others?" Chris asked.

"Incapacitated, admittedly." Zack answered. "They were new and inexperienced. I only have a day ahead of them, but being the King of Darkness, I can get back up a little quicker." He summoned his scythe. "I believe you'll find me much less forgiving."

"Maybe," Chris summoned his spear, "but you're just as arrogant." He leapt at Zack, who jumped over his head and attacked. Chris spun and countered, dancing about with his spear, trying to get in a stab. Zack shuffled backwards to avoid the strikes and countered with a few of his own. When Chris tried to stab, he teleported and ended up further away, forcing Chris to chase him.

Chris figured he was trying to use his own tricks against him, being evasive and difficult instead of aggressive. It wouldn't work. Having practiced his abilities of light, Chris was much better at such maneuvers.

With a bright rush, Chris jabbed Zack under the ribs, then stabbed at him. Zack teleported to his other side and planted several kicks on Chris's body, knocking him back. Chris flipped away and blocked several strikes.

Chris didn't pay too much attention to his surroundings, but he did realize that he was being led further and further away from the school and deeper into the town, where it started to grow. People and cars scattered to make room for the duel, which spread its share of debris. Chris sent a few light bursts into the air, hoping to scare the people of the city and keep them away. It worked. Many drivers saw the commotion and searched for alternate routes.

At last, Zack leapt out into street, nearly cleared of traffic now, and leapt around a corner. Chris followed him and froze, right in the middle of the street. Zack was not alone.

Worse yet, there were more than merely fifteen hybrids staring back at him from the ground and from the air.

"I forgot to mention," Zack taunted, "that Zackwell implanted us with his secret of replication. From one hybrid, you, he was able to create fifteen more. If he enabled each of us with that talent, how many do you think we can make?"

Chris couldn't answer.

"Think about it, Chris." Zack grinned. "What's fifteen times fifteen? Can't think of it? I'll tell you: two-hundred and twenty five. Two-hundred and twenty five alternate versions of yourself, Chris, standing before you."

Chris believed it. Their mass covered the horizon with black clothing, cross-colored wings, and glowing right eyes, all starting at him, the one, hopeless defender.

"And it doesn't end here!" Zack wouldn't suppress his laugher. "Each of us has the power to replicate fifteen more! Can you calculate _that_ number?" He laughed again. "Each batch only takes twenty-four hours to create. At this time tomorrow, you will be facing over three thousand nightmares…if, of course, you live that long, but…" A low chuckle, "I highly doubt that." He pointed at Chris. "Get him."

In flashes of smoke, they hybrids moved into place. Chris thought they would all rush him, but instead, they appeared all around, flying in circles around him, creating a dome, trapping him within their midst.

Chris brandished his spear and summoned his might. "BRING IT ON!!"

A hybrid teleported into the dome and flew at him. Chris spun and punched it. Another came up from behind. He turned and smacked it into the hybrid wall, thought it didn't break. Chris tried to rushed at it, but the passing hybrids merely knocked him back down. Another hybrid came up, spinning into a downward strike. Chris held up his spear to block, but Zack's fist shattered the weapon easily. He then vanished with a wicked grin.

Chris clenched his fists together and waited for the next one. Two came at him from either side. Chris jumped and spun with his fists outstretched, knocking them both away. A group came strong and Chris deflected them with a burst of white magic. Even though he was keeping himself alive, Chris could hear them laughing, and knew they had good reason.

They began appearing in rapid succession. Chris flailed all around, swinging great punches and kicks to keep them away. Then, he took one of them and spun him around, knocking away other oncoming hybrids, then made him even more useful. Holding the hybrid in front of himself, Chris dashed at the hybrid barrier. Using as much might as he could muster, Chris broke through them, his captive taking the blunt of the hit. Chris then landed on the hybrid and rolled over him.

The instant he was on his feet, Chris used his speed in a new way: fleeing. There was no way he could survive, much less defeat them all. He had to escape, find the other Dragoons, and think of a new plan. Right now, escaping was the only part on his mind.

"GET HIM!!" Zack ordered. "Don't let him get away!!"

The hybrids were all over Chris. He was fast, but they could teleport. He ran this way and that, trying to avoid them, but they were at every turn he made.

Watching Chris's pattern, Zack got an idea. He separated himself from the group and waited. Chris turned down another street, trying to avoid the panicking humans, when suddenly, from the building next to him, Zack erupted, tackling Chris. He forced him through the trailer of a semi-truck and through the steel of the building across the street, the building past that, across another street and through the cars upon it, then finally slammed him into the wall of a building on the other side. Zack recoiled and gave a powerful punch to Chris's chest, cracking the foundation behind Chris's body. He fell to his face, severely weakened.

The hybrids all gathered around their leader, who was standing over him, victoriously. "It's over, Chris," he said, "though it had barely begun. You denied your lineage, and now you will suffer for it."

Chris couldn't look up at him. He was too weak.

_For someone with great might, you certainly are frightened._

Chris tried to ignore that statement, but couldn't deny that it had merit. He looked up at the glowering hybrids and figured there was no point in playing safe. Zack summoned his scythe and swung it. Suddenly, in a white flash, Chris was gone. Then, a rush of pain swarmed Zack's body on all sides, as though he had been punched by ten people at once. Looking around, he saw several hybrids twitching and reacting the same way, as if recoiling from an unseen assailant.

Well, not quite unseen. A white blur was dashing about the crowd. The light suddenly came near and struck him many more times, all in a blink.

Chris was really pushing the limits of his light powers. Utilizing his speed in a whole new way, Chris was flying through the hoard, dealing as many blows as he could to each hybrid, as they stood helpless against his speed. The hybrids tried to anticipate his moves, but it was worthless. He was far too quick and would deal damage too quickly.

Then, Chris began knocking them upwards. At his speed, he was able to move from hybrid to hybrid, keeping the entire crowd in the air, forcing them higher and higher. Some tried to teleport away, but he chased them and returned them to the group without hardly a hindrance.

Finally, Chris jumped into the center of the elevated group and unleashed his power, emitting a phenomenal white light that engulfed them all.

With his power, the hybrids vanished. Chris landed and fell to his knees, breathing heavily to recover his strength. Unfortunately, this took up his escape time.

Zack, being the most powerful of the hybrids, was the first to reappear. As soon as he put himself back together, he charged at Chris, eyes burning. He'd had more than enough of this. He shot forward, fist extended. Chris jumped over it, but Zack teleported into a kick. Chris took the hit and then the next on. Zack drew out his scythe to put an end to it. This triggered Chris's survival instinct. He bent out of human shape to avoid the blade, then punched Zack in the gut and the face.

As they fought, other hybrids were starting to reappear. They were hesitant in getting up, still a little shaken from that last assault. None of them knew Chris has that much power. Those who had heard Zack's earlier speech understood that Chris had long-since accentuated his light powers, thus they exceeded their own by a long shot. It would have to be their dark magic that would get them through. One by one, they got back into the fight.

Chris was starting to get desperate again. He was running out of energy and out of ideas. There were way too many of them. He couldn't fight, and he couldn't run. What other options were left?

When the enemy numbers became too great for hand-to-hand combat, Chris once more accessed his full speed, dashing through the hybrids in a terrorizing blur. However, this time, he had to end it early, rushing to the center of the mob and emitting a phenomenal light. He didn't have the energy to make the effect as big as last time, but he had to get out of there.

Chris tried running, but Zack appeared in front of him in mid back flip kick, catching Chris's jaw. He landed on his hands and thrust forward, kicking him back and shot a white ray at his chest. Zack blocked it with his arm and swung with his scythe. Chris ducked and performed his own back flip kick and then tackled Zack. But before they made contact, Zack teleported and appeared behind, swinging his scythe. In a desperate move, Chris leapt over the blade, though it got a piece of his arm. He ignored the pain and continued fighting.

"I know how to kill you!" Zack seethed. He allowed his scythe to disappear and just lunged at Chris with fists and feet. He was able to block and dodge most attacks, but it seemed that Zack wasn't going for a quick kill. Finally, he grabbed a hold of Chris with a mighty grip. He spun around and with supernatural might, Zack hurled Chris far into the sky.

The other hybrids started to chase him, but Zack called them back. "Hold! Hold! Don't go after him!" They all stared at him. "I don't want him to have anything-or any_one_ he can use to stop his fall." He grinned maliciously. "His wings are broken…he can't fly." Zack looked up as Chris was starting to fall. "He may be strong, but even he will suffer from that fall. Even if he lives, it will do damage his light magic cannot repair." He began to chuckle, but something cut it short.

A great red and black light was shining around Chris's body. As he fell, they could not see what was happening. Then, as Chris got very near to the ground, he suddenly flapped a great set of wings and stopped the fall, then landed on a knee.

One of the hybrids turned to Zack. "He's a DRAGOON?!"

A dark dragon's eye stared out from the center of Chris's black armor, lined in blades. His presence was intimidating and his pose formidable. A black headband wrapped around Chris's head and two long, black wings sprouted from his back. In his hand, Chris held a wicked scythe with a spear tip on its butt end.

"Dragoon?!" Zack whispered in shock.

Chris looked up with dark eyes. "The worst kind." He stood up as the power of Norgoth, the Death Dragon flowed through him. He had been the one to swipe the Death Dragon's spirit in the great battle. He held on to it until then, for it developed a shine to him. He was now the dragon's knight.

Chris lunged at the hybrids, swinging his great scythe and utilizing his dragon's strength to boost his attacks. He cut through them with great finesse.

Zack started to move forward, but one hybrid held him back.

"This could pose as a problem. His light powers were strong enough, but now he's using the dark powers of a dragon."

Zack sneered. "He thinks he's found a loophole in the system. He uses both types of power without succumbing to his other side. True, his dragon's powers are strong, but they are not the same. Even though he uses these powers, he is incomplete. We are not. Now go!"

The hybrid obeyed, along with many others.

Chris wasn't much for dark magic, but he had to admit that it had some great perks, such as teleportation. In a black flash, he vanished and reappeared far away. Chris crossed his arms over his chest as he began to gather energy into his core. The spirit in his chest began to shimmer, brimming with morbid might.

The hybrids found him and rushed, fearful of his next move. Zack was in the front of the mob. Seeing the powers Chris was about to use, he teleported to get closer. It was a slow-motion moment with Chris getting ready to attack and Zack getting ready to stop him. Zack appeared in front of Chris, scythe in hand. Chris opened his eyes and spread his arms. All that came was a dark shockwave. Two-hundred and twenty five hybrid bodies hit the pavement.

Chris folded his wings and began walking, his scythe slung across his shoulder. He wouldn't get far, so he may was well get ready for them. Sure enough, one got up and tried attacking. Chris cut him through. Another came from his other side and Chris gave him the same fate. Three got up and ran. They met their deaths at Chris's scythe. More and more began rising from the ground. Once more, Chris cranked up his attacks.

With his deadly magic, Chris was able to not only push back the hybrids as they came, but kill them instantaneously. However, he was still trying to find a way to make them _stay_ down.

Chris brought the battle up above the buildings to reduce the bystander casualties to a minimum. He didn't want anyone getting hurt from this who didn't deserve it. He sliced through the hybrids easily, showing off his impressive Dragoon skill, which he had been homing since the great battle with Zackwell.

The hybrids were getting agitated. Though they threw everything they had at Chris, his Dragoon Powers were stopping them short. Zack finally had enough.

"I'm not afraid to call in the backup." His eyes shone red.

Chris was in the midst of fighting, when suddenly, a massive black and white wall rose up from the city. He looked at it, then back at the original mob. They were equal in size. His problems had suddenly doubled.

"More?!" Chris exclaimed.

"No, no," Zack said. "We just didn't want to show _all_ our numbers until the opportune moment! KILL HIM!!"

Chris had only been dealing with one-hundred or so. Now, he was seeing them all.

"Time to go!" Chris started flapping his wings in attempt to escape. But now that there were more hybrids, they could easily block him off. They barred his path at every turn and there were too many to destroy as easily as before. They forced him into tighter and tighter circles around the city, and down to the streets.

At an empty intersection, Chris found himself surrounded by hybrids flying at full speed. Desperate, Chris shot out his arms and emitted a translucent barrier that killed anything coming within it. Of course, once they passed through, the hybrids merely had to get back up and keep going.

At this failure, Chris took to the skies again in one great bound, hoping to find some way to escape. He was closely pursued. Chris grabbed hold of a great flagpole in front of the courthouse and spun downward along it, scythe extended, radiating black magic all the way down to keep his intruders huddled in one spot, but far enough away. Then, he jumped away from the pole, hoping to lose them, but Zack had watched him carefully and reported his movements.

Chris was down to one last option, but it would have to be a surprise, and a quick one. For irony's sake, Chris rounded the same corner that he had rounded before when he found over two-hundred hybrids facing him. This time, when the hybrids came around, _they _were the ones who were surprised. They all stopped dead in their tracks.

Chris was ready for a fight now, standing atop his mighty companion, Norgoth, the Dragon of Death. Norgoth hissed at the hybrids, unafraid of their might and numbers. He had great power of his own.

They hybrids gathered their wits and charged. With a mighty roar and a wave of black magic, Norgoth destroyed the first wave. Chris kept emitting his own black magic. When the hybrids got too close, he would attack with his scythe and Norgoth with his claws, tail, and teeth.

Then, they used the hybrids' dark powers against them. After a quick conference, Chris jumped off Norgoth's back. The dragon inhaled slowly and deeply, absorbing the dark powers that the hybrids radiated. Chris held his weapon up and began using his own magic to gather all the light magic in his body that he could muster.

When Norgoth gathered all the power he could handle, he looked up at Chris and breathed it all out in a great black stream. His body dissipated into black magic remnants and joined in the energy stream. Chris could barely hold both sets of power within his body, so he decided to let it go.

With a great outcry, Chris shot out a tremendous shockwave of light and dark magic. The hybrids couldn't withstand the power and were easily overcome by the combination of powers. In only a split second, the hybrids were vanquished, save for one in Dragoon armor.

Chris teleported as far away as he could and then flew as fast as possible, unsure of which direction he was even traveling. After a minute of flying, Chris realized that he couldn't feel their presence anymore, so he descended, letting his Dragoon powers leave him.

He stayed there on hands and knees, gasping for air and trying to regain his energy, just in case.

_They're not dead,_ Norgoth told him. _I would know._

"I know." Chris sighed and sat on his rear, looking back in the direction of the city.

_This isn't over, not by a long shot._

Chris didn't say it, but Norgoth was wrong. Either the hybrids would overwhelm Chris, or he would destroy them all before they got the chance. One way or another, this battle was going to be one very quickly.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Yes, now we FINALLY know what happened to the freakin' Death Dragon's spirit. Everybody happy now? In any case, thanks to everybody for their support. As I said to Adamer, I only have about three chapters left (maybe two, depending on how things go), so I'll be done fairly soon. So you can stop asking when this thing's gonna end. It's only gonna escalate from here on out; Chris still has plenty of challenges to undergo before the story ends, so hang on tight and please review.

And by the way, Kermit the Great, a frequent reviewer, is a good friend of Spike and myself, so he's totally comfortable with saying anything he wants. We apologize for this, and Spike has done bodily harm to Kermit the Great to ensure he stops.


	28. Chris Cross Part 1

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Chris-Cross-Part 1

"Say that number again." Ben's eye twitched. Chris had gathered the Dragoons in the clearing to tell them the awful news.

"Two-hundred and twenty five." Chris said. "And evidently, there will be more. Every twenty-four hours, each hybrid can generate fifteen more!"

"Fifteen mo-what's two-twenty-five times fifteen?!"

Sean did the math in his head. "Three thousand, three hundred, and seventy five."

Nobody liked that number.

"Three thousand?" Christie gasped. "How are we supposed to counter that?"

Sean shook his head. "I have absolutely no idea. Even if we gathered all the armies again-which we can't in twenty-four hours, they would only reproduce."

"I think they base in Mayfil," Chris suggested. "That's where I saw the first pods. If that's so, maybe we can destroy them now, sine they're far from ready, and probably don't have the powers necessary to survive."

"So we do it quickly and efficiently." Sean nodded. "I'll go. Jenn, you're fastest, so you come with me. With cannon and your light powers, we should be able to wipe out the area."

"What about body guards?" Robert asked. "If the hybrids are that vulnerable, they wouldn't be left alone."

Sean nodded. "Then you and Marian come with us. Everyone else, stay here and defend the city until we get back.

"Two-hundred is enough to worry about," Brad groaned. "Never thought Zackwell would lay this one on us…"

Christie looked at her son. "But you said he doesn't want to kill us?"

"Not yet," Chris answered. "He says he's under orders to kill me first and _then_ go for your guys."

"Under orders from who?" Sean asked. "Zackwell?"

"Or worse." Mike shivered. "These guys come from some dark dealings. If Zackwell's not in charge, I don't think I _want_ to meet the guy who is!"

"I don't think it's Zackwell," Chris said. "He may have created them, but somebody else is pulling their strings. Zackwell would have had them kill you guys first, especially Sean!"

"Then who _is_ driving them?" Sean asked.

Chris thought about it and shivered. "If it's who I think it is, we could be in big trouble."

Sean groaned. "I never thought I would see Mayfil again. Okay, we've spent too much time already. This new batch has to be destroyed quickly, to buy us time if nothing else. Jenn, Rob, Marian, let's go. Ben? You're in charge til I return."

"Gotcha." Ben nodded.

"Chris, you know more about these creatures than anybody, and you're the most capable for finding out things. Do your best to try and find a way to bring them down for good."

Chris nodded. "I'll give it my all."

"Good. Let's move!"

Four Dragoons transformed and flew to Mayfil, the reborn city of the dead.

* * *

The Dragoons who stayed behind trained themselves all day long, discussing fight plans and attacks. They got word to Caron and General Sanders, in hopes that they would join them as soon as possible. Caron teleported and joined them as soon as possible. The general was coming, but would not be as swift as he liked. They were preparing for the wrong thing. They spent the day discussing plans and attacks, preparing for a full onslaught.

They were preparing for the wrong thing.

In the midst of practice, they Dragoons suddenly stopped cold when shadows began covering the land. They looked up and saw many figures flying low, right over their heads, heading in the direction of the city.

"That them?" Ben asked.

Chris nodded. "That's them."

Ben took a deep breath and nodded. "This is it, then. Let's move, before they get to the city."

They transformed and took to the skies, diving right into the heart of the hybrids.

* * *

"Up ahead," Sean said, peering through the scanner on his left eye. "The presence there is astounding."

"You're telling me?" Jenn scoffed. Being a light Dragoon, she felt the effects much more than the others.

They were coming up on Mayfil now, readying their nerves. Widespread destruction was the key. Get in, destroy, and get out. Sean closed his right eye as his scanner zoomed in. He saw the many pods standing erect in the ground. Three thousand was right.

Then, he saw something else.

"At attention, everyone!" He shouted. The Dragoons poised their weapons. Black specks were beginning to lift up from Mayfil and head for the Dragoons.

"Here they come," Robert said.

"Destroy everything," Sean said. "Ignore the hybrids as best you can; just go for the pods. GO!!"

They began their assault.

* * *

Christie nailed three hybrids in the head with her precision accuracy, then turned to strike one just before it hit her. She thrust her bow upwards to uppercut one of them, but another tackled her. She flipped it over her head and pressed him against the nearest building, shooting an arrow into his skull. Flying high into the sky, she summoned her white magic.

"Star Children!" Tiny stars shot through the hoard, but didn't do the damage they normally did. These creatures had light powers too, so her attack was minimal. Christie sighed. This was going to be tougher than she had bargained for. Just as they were starting to charge, they suddenly froze, trapped in two-dimensional form. A picture of them rotated for a moment.

"Be gone!" Melissa slid her hand down her blade, vanquishing the picture. The hybrids had been so busy defending against light that they let their dark side slip just that long. Melissa cut the throat of a hybrid, then stabbed her rapier through the heart of another, flipping over his head and cutting another to join Christie.

"Yeah, both of us are pretty much useless alone, so why don't we stick together?"

Christie smiled. "Sounds like a plan."

Melissa shot a hybrid with a black ray. It blocked the attack, leaving it perfectly vulnerable for Christie's next arrow.

Brittany froze a few hybrids coming at her. They broke out almost instantly, but Brittany was ready with her mallet, whacking them all away. She spun her mallet upwards, knocking a hybrid up. She created an icicle in her hand and threw it through her enemy. She saw another group close together, so she rushed to them, hand extended.

"Freezing Ring!" She emitted a tremendous icy gust that froze the group in place. Before they could break out, she quickly smashed the block with her mallet, shattering them.

Brittany sighed. "Five down, two-hundred and twenty to-oh, nope. They're back."

Brad was having a ball. Having not used his powers as such in a while, he was ready to spend some. Brad brought a thunderbolt down on a hybrid, then knocked him away. He stayed in place and let the hybrids come to him, then swung charged fists and feet, keeping them back. Then, his fists shone and he spun wildly into a group, blasting through. Brad tore through several hybrids, then slammed into the ground. He came back up and attacked again, then went back down, then came back up, emitting a phenomenal thunderstorm, finishing his Thunder God attack.

"Keep 'em coming!" He taunted.

Mike struck a great meteor with his axe and brought it down upon his foes. He swooped back down and shot forward, stopping for no one, plowing through the hybrids like bowling pins. He swung a mighty fist to knock one away, then his great axe to hack through two at once. The hybrids used their magic against him, firing round after round of light and dark shots. To stop this, Mike slammed his axe in the ground.

"Grand Stream!" He yanked his axe out and a stream of earth covered the hybrids, blinding them so Mike could get a few more hits in.

Suddenly, the dust turned black and acidic. The hybrids cried out as it burned their skin. Then, a missile flew into the cloud and destroyed a few hybrids.

"YEE-HAW!!" The general shouted, flying into the crowd. "Looks like I arrived just in time!"

"You said it!" Mike called back. "They're everywhere!"

The general turned and blocked an attack, then countered with a punch to the face, then stabbed the hybrid with his stinger shield. He locked onto another hybrid and fired a missile from the shield, ending the threat.

"From what I heard about these guys, poisonous fumes aren't going to do a whole lot, are they?"

Mike shook his head. "Nah."

"And your speed's not the best, am I right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Then I got your back if you've got mine."

Mike nodded. "Deal."

The general struck a hybrid, then flipped him over his head. Mike caught him and threw him into the other hybrids.

Ben needed no backup. Spreading his wings and filling them with fiery magic, he spun like a top into a crowd of hybrids, blasting them in all directions. Raising his hands, Ben created three great Flameshot fireballs. He punched two and kicked the third, each hitting a hybrid. The hybrids converged and rushed at him.

"Oh, please bring it on." Ben smirked, powering up. "FINAL BURST!!" He made it through the crowd in once piece. The hybrids were not so fortunate.

* * *

Leagues away, Marian swung his halberd upwards, knocking a hybrid into the air, then swung it like a bat, knocking him away.

"Skyrocket!" She fired many missiles at the pods below. The hybrids positioned themselves in place to take the hits, or shot them out of the sky, then turned their beams to Marian. She evaded a few, but those that hit stung deep. She stabbed a hybrid, but another shot her with a dark blast. She cringed as another hybrid tried the same.

A white light suddenly pierced him. Jenn flew over and sliced through the hybrid, then another and kicked back a third.

"You okay?"

"More or less. This armor isn't much good against magic."

"Try being a light warrior." She moved away from an attack and stabbed the hybrid in the head, then dashed around striking many at a high speed. "Light magic doesn't do so hot."

"Back to back then?" Marian asked.

"My thoughts exactly."

Jenn emitted a blinding white light that stung a few, but most resisted. However, from behind the light, Marian emitted another skyrocket attack, striking them while they couldn't see.

Robert was far too experienced to require any aid. With green gales surrounding his body, he spun rapidly, tearing through the hybrids who challenged him. With one great swing, his wind powers blew the hybrids far away. Robert then swooped low, his spear glowing a jade hue.

"Wing Blaster!" A greet eagle shot from his spear and breezed through the pods. Only a few were destroyed before the hybrids stopped the attack and went for Robert. He stretched out his hands and created a great green sphere around a fifty-foot radius of his body. The reapers too close were trapped within a bubble of rapid razor gales, shredding them into tiny pieces.

"Divine Dragon Ball!" Sean shouted, shooting the rapid-fire attack from his shoulder panel. The hybrids threw themselves in front of the attack or deflected it. Sean knew that if he kept up the attack, they could not deflect them all, but another hybrid suddenly jumped up to stop him.

Sean turned and stabbed the hybrid, then cut through a few others. It quickly became apparent that what Sean needed more than power was speed. With a glimmer from his Dragoon Spirit, Sean lowered his power and returned to semi-human form, brandishing his blade.

Foolishly assuming his was weakened, the hybrids converged.

Sean reeled back and shot through the crowd, bellowing, "_MOVE ASIDE!!_"

Sean sliced through hybrids at a rapid rate, receiving no marks on his own body. These creatures were new and unprepared for a veteran warrior. Sean landed on the ground as his cannon reappeared on his arm.

"DIVINE DRAGON CANNON!!"

A great beam lanced through the pods ahead of him, destroying several. Several wasn't enough, but they would keep fighting.

* * *

Chris sliced through three hybrids with his great scythe and then inflicted instant death upon many of them. Chris spun to strike again, but clashed against steel. Zack was ready with his own scythe.

The two of them exchanged attacks, clashing steel with steel in a shower of sparks, neither man making progress. Suddenly, Zack took a hit to the chest just to get a hand on Chris. As soon as they connected, Zack teleported, taking Chris with him.

When they reappeared elsewhere, Zack threw Chris to the ground.

"Now we shall see your might!" Zack mocked. Chris jumped to his feet and looked around. He was inside the train station. Surprisingly, no one was inside.

"What do you mean?" Chris asked him.

"Haven't you seen the news?" He pointed to a television propped up for the travelers to see while waiting. Chris moved closer to see the story. A woman was giving a breaking news story.

"The number of abducted trains has reached six. Reports say that a number of creatures suddenly attacked the driver and took over the train. The footage we're about to show you was taken only moments ago. You have to see it to believe it, folks."

Chris watched as an amateur photographer captured the scene. A number of hybrids flew along the train, which was stopped on the tracks. The hybrids sealed shut the doors to the passenger cars so that no one escaped, then moved to their next objective. With their magic, the hybrids slowly lifted the entire train, including the long line of cars, right off the tracks. Carrying it high into the air, they turned the entire train around and lowered it back onto the tracks, facing the opposite direction. Then, the train started moving again, but no one was driving.

The newswoman continued. "Five other trains have been reported as 'hijacked.' Although no one is actually driving the trains, they are increasing in speed. Some trains were moved to different tracks or onto different spots on the track. From what we have gathered, they are all headed for the same place: the downtown train station. Once again, the trains are on a collision course, heading for one another on the same track."

No wonder everyone was gone.

Just then, the woman put her hand to the listening device on her ear, getting more news to report. She seemed shocked by the news herself, but tried to maintain her composure. "We've also gotten word that a number of planes have suddenly been rerouted. Air control is getting no response and hijacking is suspected. The number of planes rerouting themselves has yet to be determined."

"It's five." Zack said. "And guess where they're headed."

Chris's eyes narrowed. "Here?"

"Yep!" He forced Chris out the door with a dark wave, knocking him onto the train tracks. "It was a rather difficult trick to pull off, but we managed. Six trains are now on a collision course with each other on three different tracks. We've carefully positioned them to arrive at the same time, and at very high speeds. All six will come in contact with one another quite soon. In addition, the five planes we took are all going down, right in this spot, and should crash when the trains collide."

Zack had to laugh. "Can you imagine the chaos? Six trains, five airplanes, a tremendous blast, not to mention the people on board. The Dragoons are distracted, Chris. It's up to you to save the humans."

"You want me to stop six trains and five planes from crashing?!" Chris exclaimed.

"Of course I don't _want_ that, but I know you can't resist helping these humans. How will you do it? I do not know! Perhaps some will live and others will die, right? Which ones will you choose?" He jumped up to the roof and took a seat. "This ought to be amusing."

"You…" Chris brandished his scythe.

"Don't bother attacking me, Chris, it won't stop the impending destruction. Best spend your time trying to figure out how to revert this disaster."

Chris clenched his fists tightly. This was going to be a cataclysmic nightmare. Could he stop them one at a time? No, he wouldn't be given that much time. Chris looked to the left and to the right. How far could his powers extend? He had to give it a shot.

"Norgoth," he said, "give me everything you've got."

The dragon filled him with his power, which Chris could use in any way he saw necessary.

Chris put his hands together, gathering all the energy he could muster. Chris positioned himself in the middle of the tracks, facing the station. Then, he thrust his arms outward, extending in both directions, radiating great power that shook the earth. Hopefully, the force would be enough to stop them.

"Careful now, Chris," Zack said. "Don't put too much pressure on yourself. A sudden stop at that speed could kill some passengers…or all of them."

Chris knew he was right, but this made things much more difficult. He had to keep the humans stationary while he stopped the vehicles. It was hard enough putting out such power on one front. Two fronts would be nearly impossible. Still, he had to try.

Zack watched in amusement. Chris's body was radiating with energy, but he couldn't handle it. He could see the signs of strain beginning to appear on Chris's body. His veins were beginning to bulge as his face turned red. Chris closed his eyes and tried repositioning his footing, but it didn't help much.

Chris was feeling the massive burn and realized it wasn't enough. He could still feel the trains and planes pushing against his force, coming at too high a speed for a happy ending. He tried even harder. His hands began to waiver, shaking from the output of power. Norgoth's spirit shone brightly as he gave it his all, too.

Zack wished he had some popcorn. This had been too easy. Zack knew he would destroy himself before he let others perish. Now, he was in the most impossible of predicaments. Zack knew that Chris would stay in that same spot until the incoming vehicles destroyed him, as well as the hundreds of passengers.

"C'mon," Chris muttered, "C'mon!" But words were not enough. The power he was putting out could not stop the powerful machines coming his way. He still could not see them, but he felt them, and the humans onboard.

Only a moment later, Chris suddenly felt his energy being drained as his armor vanished. "What the?!"

"I'm sorry," Norgoth said in a weakened voice. "I am out of strength."

"Uh-oh!" Zack taunted. "The mighty death dragon is out of energy? It's entirely up to you now, Chris! Can you do it?"

Chris took a deep breath and gave a mighty cry as he cranked up his powers once more, trying to make up for what he had lost. He felt the vehicles losing some of their momentum. Son of a gun, this might work! All he had to do was keep up this energy level and maybe the disaster could be avoided.

Suddenly, a sharp pain literally ripped across Chris's arm.

"DYAH!!" Chris cried out, dropping his power. He looked down and saw a red line across his arm, as if it had just been ripped open.

"Hey, they're still coming!" Zack called.

Chris thrust his hands out again, trying to force back the vehicles. Another sharp pain suddenly tore across his leg. Chris stumbled a little, but held his shield.

"You're very powerful, Chris," Zack admitted, "but your body cannot take the strain. It's tearing apart as I speak!"

Another rip on Chris's shoulder. He cringed, but realized he had bigger problems on his hands. Inside his spiritual realm, a cocoon was breaking open. Chris couldn't divert his energy to keep it closed. He could only keep his force up.

With a few easy strokes, Z.S. broke free of the white magic that enveloped him and landed on his feet. "Too busy to play prison guard, eh?" He laughed, walking over to the boy clad in white. "I didn't know you had this much power in you! But it appears it won't be enough. The planes and trains are still coming."

Chris didn't answer. He only let out more energy. His body shone with incredible brilliance. The incoming vehicles suddenly lurched, slowing a surprising amount. Zack looked around, frowning. Chris might be able to stop them after all. Oh well, he would kill him while he was weak, should such a thing occur.

Z.S. made no movement to attack Chris, but merely watched. He looked around, measuring the level of Chris's power and the speed of the vehicles. He rubbed his chin, genuinely interested. He truly hadn't known that Chris possessed such ability. He walked over and stood in front of Chris, examining him.

Outside the spiritual realm, more cuts and tears were appearing on Chris's body. They were no longer bloody lines, but shimmering, as if his flesh were caging in some inner brilliance. On the inside, Chris's spirit _was_ shining brightly as Z.S. merely stared.

"Such power," he mused. He looked into Chris's eyes, seeing a great ferocity in them. "What drives you to such limits? What gives you the ability to possess such power?"

Chris grunted, "It's a human thing. You wouldn't understand."

"Ah, yes, of course. You care for these humans, you, um…love them, perhaps." He paced, still rubbing his chin. "You're right, I don't understand it, but I will also admit that it gives you tremendous potential. Almost as if you could do anything." He looked again. "But your body cannot take the force. It will crack in a matter of seconds."

Z.S. looked at the situation, then back at Chris. "Well, best give you a hand then."

He stood in front of Chris and put his hands on his shoulders.

Out in the real world, Chris's body lurched from the shift in power. Zack looked down at him, feeling a sudden change in the boy's body.

"What are you doing?!" Chris exclaimed in his spiritual realm.

"Can't let this body be destroyed, can I?" Z.S. said. "You keep doing what you're doing. I'll keep this body intact."

Z.S. was true to his word. Instantly, Chris's wounds healed, yet he was still putting out as much energy as before. He looked himself over and then decided he could go further. He forced himself to excel beyond what anyone thought he could do and emitted a mighty force in all directions, pressing back the trains and planes that would crash at any second.

Zack's eyes narrowed. How had he suddenly healed his wounds while increasing his power? He didn't like the possibilities coming to mind. He might have to end this on his own.

Chris found it very odd that he and Z.S. were working together. He just kept telling himself that it wasn't towards a common goal. He wanted to save the humans, while Z.S. wanted to preserve this body for whatever he had in mind. Even so, their alliance was working. Chris poured out his magic and Z.S. used his own to keep their body together so Chris didn't have to hold back anything.

A searing pain suddenly ripped through Chris's body. Both versions felt it and cringed. Another one tore across his back. White light was beginning to emerge from his body again.

"What's going on?!" Chris demanded inside his own body.

"Your powers are too strong!" Z.S. said. "You're breaking through my barriers! Plus, you're breaking them faster than I can restore them!" He looked around. "To make matters worse, they're not stopping quick enough. They'll still crush us and kill the humans."

"I'm giving it all I've got!" Chris exclaimed. However, he knew it was true. They were not putting out enough energy, and his body was still deteriorating.

Outside, a hybrid suddenly appeared next to Zack.

"Zack! The Dragoons are attacking the pods."

"So? Fend them off!"

"We're trying, but they are persistent. Besides, the pods are very vulnerable. We need backup."

Zack looked at Chris, who was returning to his original state: powerful, but helpless. That was good enough for him. Besides, the Dragoons couldn't help him even if they tried now.

"Very well." His eyes shone. "Fall back, all forces!" With a puff of black smoke, he, and all the other hybrids vanished.

This didn't help Chris one bit. The collision course was already set up and nothing could stop it now, unless Chris could somehow increase his strength. He was utilizing every ounce of strength, but…wait…

Chris looked at Z.S. "Let go!"

"What?!"

"Our body can't take the strain of the magic, but that doesn't mean we can't do this! I think that if you help me, we can stop this disaster!"

"Our body will be shredded if I do that!"

"Then let it be shredded!"

"I cannot spare this body!"

"You won't have to! If you unleash your might, I think you'll be able to restore our body when it's all done. Even if you don't, power is what you want, right? You'll go out in a blaze of glory no one has ever seen before, wielding more power than even you can handle!"

Z.S. looked Chris in the eyes. He was determined to save them. Drive…

He looked to his left and right. In the far distance, he could see the trains coming. He looked up and saw the planes as specks in the sky. Z.S. looked down at Chris again. "On the count of three."

Chris nodded and they counted off together. "One…two…THREE!!"

"AAAHHH!!" Chris bellowed as ultimate power exited his body, searing away his flesh like useless ribbons, revealing the god underneath.

In a great magical blast, Chris ceased appear as everyone knew him and stood as something new. His body was in humanoid form, but his skin was one large canvas of black and white, flowing across his body. The only facial features left were his eyes, shining brilliantly.

The Dragoons saw the light show and came to see. They did not know what stood down there on the tracks, but they were beginning to see the danger of the situation.

Chris, or what was left of him, lifted his hands and gathered all the magic in his body. Then, he thrust his hands outward. The wheels of the trains grinded against the tracks, throwing sparks everywhere. The passengers were forced back against their seats by an invisible force. Being fastened to the seats, their bodies were not thrown about as the vehicles came to quick stops. No one would even have whiplash that day.

Under Chris's almighty influence, the trains screeched to a grinding halt within seconds, sliding into the station only a few feet from one another. The airplanes slowed to a sudden halt in mid-air, suspended a few feet from one another and not far above the trains.

The Dragoons stared in awe.

With another flash of power, Chris interfered with the trains' systems and shut them down to stop them from pressing back against his might. He also shut down the planes, then moved them with his mind, lining them up not far from the station. They could follow the emergency procedures and exit safely. But first, Chris unlocked all the doors in a white shockwave, and then finally released his grip. Everything stay perfectly still, save for the panicking passengers.

Drained of all his strength, Chris's glow dimmed and the moving canvas of black and white across his body came to a standstill. He fell to his face, done. The humans were safe and sound. He didn't care what happened next.

The Dragoons landed around him, wondering just what had happened. Ben reached down and picked up the Death Dragon's spirit, then looked back at creature lying before them.

Suddenly, something formed on Chris's back. It was a single segment of vertebrae. More appeared, creating a spine, ribcage, skull, and many more bones. Muscles covered the bones, then organs found their place. Flesh began to crawl across the body and blood began flowing through the veins. The heart beat, brain pulsed, and lungs breathed.

He was asleep.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: A major disaster averted, and a few questions to ask about the future. Well, the bigger situation still needs to be resolved. How will they do it? Find out real soon. By the way, this segment ended up being a lot longer than I anticipated, so I made it its own chapter. The next one might be relatively short, unless I pull one of these again. Either way, there are still three chapters to go. Thanks for the reviews and keep them coming. See you next time!


	29. Chris Cross Part 2

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Chris-Cross-Part 2

Christie knocked on Chris's door, waited a moment, and then walked inside. He was still in bed, lying on his right side, stirring a little.

"Oh, finally up, huh?" She asked.

"Mm…" Chris moaned.

"Good to see you've finally come around. We were worrying."

Chris didn't roll over to face her. "How long have I been out?"

"About eighteen hours. It's eleven in the morning."

Chris jumped a little. "Eighteen hours?"

"Yep."

He slumped back down. "I'm still tired."

"Well, your friends are out in the living room. I'll call the others and let them know you're up. We have to get ready before the others come."

Chris looked at his hands. "I can't believe I'm still alive."

"Neither can we, but we'll discuss that when everyone gets here, okay? Don't want to tell the same story over and over, right?"

"I suppose."

Christie walked over to the window shade. "I hate to do this to you, but..." She pulled the shade open. "We need to act quickly. Besides, this room needs some light."

Chris rolled over onto his back, covering his eyes with his arm. "I think it's quite bright enough, thank you."

"After that light you let out yesterday, I don't think anything can ever compare." She sat down on the bed next to him, running her fingers through his hair. "You know, I've been really worried about you ever since these hybrids starting popping up. They really want to kill you." She looked away, trying to hide emotion she had been suppressing for a while. "I just want you to be careful, okay?"

He moved his arm a little, looking at her with one eye. "Why are you so worried?"

She scoffed. "Because you're my son," she kissed him, "great power or not."

Chris looked away, unsure what to say. "I'll be okay."

"Just being a mom. Anyway, come on. I'm sure you're hungry. I'll give you a minute to get decent, okay?"

"Okay."

She shut the door.

Chris sat up and moved his arm, revealing the red glow over his right eye. In his spiritual realm, Z.S. looked down at the still-unconscious Chris. "What is it about love that drives you humans to do the irrational? Or possess powers beyond the norm?"

Z.S. returned to the real world and rubbed his right eye. "I don't understand it," he looked back up, the red glow gone from his eye, "but I intend to figure it out."

* * *

Z.S. came out into the living room. Christie, Ben, Mark, Caleb, Nick, and Cara were waiting for him. Upon seeing him, Cara jumped to her feet and ran to him, throwing her arms around him. He jumped. So _this_ was a hug.

"I was worried you might never wake up." She said with tears in her eyes.

"We tried to tell her you were fine," Caleb said, "but she wouldn't believe us."

"Eighteen hours is a long time to wait." Ben chuckled. "Feeling refreshed?"

"More or less," Z.S. said through Chris's mouth.

Cara parted the hug and looked up at him. "I was afraid those creatures would come for you while you slept."

Z.S. smirked. "They should have, but they're far too proud for that, the fools."

"Whatever the reason, I'm glad they didn't." She brought her lips to his.

So this was a kiss. Z.S. suddenly saw why humans exchanged them so. Cara would be a good subject to study, since she loved Chris, from what he gathered. Christie would work similarly, for she was a mother and he knew that she loved Chris-it had been what defeated him in the first place. But what made it so powerful?

"Yeah," Caleb patted him on the shoulder. "So are we. Those guys looked tough. We thought you were a goner."

Z.S. looked at him, then at Nick. What of these two humans, Chris's friends? Another term he wasn't entirely familiar with. No demon could call another demon his "friend." Comrade, perhaps, but not friend. What did Chris care about them, or they about him? What bound them?

"Don't worry," Z.S. said, "I'm tougher than they give me credit for." Then, he looked down at the little one standing at his leg. Mark was his name, Christie and Ben's son. Chris's half-brother. Well, his half-brother, too. Family, another thing to study.

"So what on earth happened?" Nick asked.

"We'll wait until the others get here." Christie said. A knock at the door said they wouldn't have to wait long. They left the door open so the other Dragoons could just come on in when the arrived. Z.S. noticed that no matter where he went, Cara stuck close by, arm in arm, holding his hand. Contact, humans were all about contact. It made him particularly uncomfortable, save for the kisses. Those enticed him in a strange way. He looked the girl over, very attractive as her kind went. A dark smirk crossed his lips.

"What?" Cara asked.

He shook his head. "Nothing."

When the Dragoons all arrived, they began asking "Chris" just what had happened.

"I'm not entirely sure," Z.S. said. "I just kept pressing back harder and harder until something inside me just burst. Everything's blurry from then on. I woke up here."

"We carried you home after that ordeal." Ben said. "You looked like you could use a rest."

"Thank you." Z.S. looked at Sean. "What of the pods? Did you destroy them?"

Sean sighed. "The hybrids were very persistent. We thought we might make some headway when we summoned our dragons, but suddenly, their numbers doubled. They said that the hybrids suddenly vanished from this area, so I'm guessing they came to join their comrades. In any case, we didn't destroy nearly as many as we wanted to."

"How many did you destroy?"

He shrugged. "A couple hundred, maybe. That's it. You'll still have a nightmare on your hands if and when they come back."

Z.S. shook his head. "Bring 'em on. I'll show 'em why Zackwell couldn't get rid of me."

"Such confidence," Sean mused. "Don't mistake it for foolishness."

The hybrid smiled. "I'm Zackwell's son, not Zackwell himself."

They all chuckled at that. It suddenly dawned on Z.S. that he should probably kill the Dragoons now that he had the chance. However, he knew that his objective would be ruined that way. He had to study these humans and find out what drove Chris to such high levels of power and find a way to attain it himself.

They had to live…for now.

"So any ideas on how to fight them next time?" Brad asked.

Sean shook his head. "Just fight like normal. But Chris, you're the one they want. Like I said before, you're the only one who can figure out how to stop them."

Z.S. bit his lip. He already knew how to stop them. If Chris wasn't so thickheaded…

"I'll find a way." His eye suddenly twitched. "Could you excuse me?" Z.S. walked into the restroom before anyone could see the red hue starting to form. He sat down along the wall and closed his body's eyes, entering completely the spiritual realm.

Chris struck him down. Z.S. got back up, defensive

"So you thought you could just take over my life?!" Chris boomed. He was awake now. "Or were you luring them into a trap?"

"A little of both, actually," Z.S. chuckled. "I'm conducting an experiment."

"What experiment?"

"At the train station, you displayed a power you never possessed before. I want to know what spawned it."

Chris relaxed, but only a little. "You could've asked. It's only human to desire to save others. It's a matter of the heart. I was willing to do anything to save them and that drive gave me strength, but like I said before, you wouldn't understand."

"I don't." Z.S. admitted. "That's why I'm conducting the experiment: to learn. I want to understand this drive so that I may obtain such power."

Chris shook his head. "Then you're already lost. That kind of drive goes beyond selfish intention. You won't know real might until you're willing to give yourself up for somebody else."

"We'll see. We demons are masters of manipulation."

"So you think you can take over my body and figure out what makes the human heart do what it does and use it as a power source?"

"All but the first part. I don't wish to take over your body, just to observe. You go about your life and I'll sit here quiet as a church mouse."

"I'm sure. How about I just trap you again?"

"You know you're not strong enough to keep me bound. Besides, you'll need my help when our brothers come back. You can't hope to stand alone against them. You'll see. Until then, take back your precious body. I'll be watching closely."

Chris opened his eyes, in control of his own body again. He couldn't fight Z.S. now. Even thought it was only in his mind, his body would undoubtedly react. The last thing Chris wanted to do was worry everybody, or admit that he had lost control. For now, he could only hope that Z.S. would behave himself as he promised.

* * *

The Dragoons decided to go back to the clearing in the woods and train until the hybrids returned-in greater numbers. They still didn't know what they were going to do.

Caleb, Nick, and Cara would walk with them for a moment. Cara's hand was still entwined with Chris's. Of course, while Z.S. had held her hand clumsily, he held it eagerly. Z.S. observed it carefully.

_What is it about contact that makes humans desire it so much?_

Quiet as a church mouse indeed. Chris responded in his mind. _It's a sense of closeness, of connection._

_Closeness? Connection?_

_I knew you wouldn't understand._

"They'll be here soon, won't they?" Melissa asked.

"Probably," Sean said. "We'll just give 'em everything we have."

"It'll take all that and then some." Chris said. "You guys are lucky that they're not interested in your yet. I'm the one they-"

WHAM!!

Zack shot out from the ground, punching Chris in the jaw, knocking him into the air. Another hybrid flew by and kicked him, followed by another. The fourth was stopped when Chris flailed into a kick. He landed on the ground and began fending them off as best he could.

_I suppose you want to handle them on your own,_ Z.S. guessed.

_Of course._

"Chris!" Cara shouted, but she was cut off from him by a wall of hybrids, staring her down.

"FIGHT!" Sean shouted to his comrades. They began transforming.

"Don't worry." Caleb said to Cara. "He still has that Dragoon spirit to help him."

"Uh-oh." Ben's blood ran cold as he stopped in mid-transformation.

"What?" Christie asked him.

Slowly, Ben pulled the Death Dragoon Spirit out of his pocket.

* * *

Chris was already very aware that he didn't have his Dragoon Spirit, but he was also aware that he had no way of obtaining it. The hybrids were all over him. He drew out his spear and struck them down and knocked them away, but dozens replaced them. They were beyond angry now.

He stabbed a hybrid and threw it into a few others, then kicked another down. He jumped up and performed a spinning kick, toppling a hybrid, but another came and dealt a powerful punch. Chris blocked it and used the momentum to flip backwards and stab a hybrid coming at him.

Chris decided to step it up a notch. He called upon his light powers and took on the hybrids as they came. Thought their numbers were great, Chris's speed was greater. He struck left, right, left again, up down, all around as they charged. He was quick to counter and keep himself safe.

Then, one of the hybrids rushed in for a strike. Chris recognized him at Zack. Chris swung his spear with all his might and speed. But Zack took the hit like a demon and still swung a great uppercut, blasting Chris into the air.

Chris spun and punched a hybrid trying to take advantage of the situation, then grabbed another and threw him into the crowd. Quickly taking hold of another hybrid, Chris used the body to ease his landing, then jumped away, shooting a white wave into the hybrid mass.

They ran at him again, but suddenly stopped. They were looking upwards and smiling. Chris wasn't sure he wanted to turn, but got curious when the sun suddenly disappeared.

Slowly, Chris turned and looked up at the sky. It wasn't a cloud that hid the light. It was an army. Three-thousand hybrids flew like locusts in the sky, blocking out the sun.

_Still want to do this alone?_

_I'll find a way!_

Z.S. scoffed, but let him go as the hybrids came down all around him.

Chris began fighting them off like normal, but suddenly, their strategy changed. In a quick act of teleportation, the hybrids converged, locking arms and standing on the shoulders of one another in tight locks. Using merely their bodies, the hybrids formed a great dome around Chris, trapping him inside.

With puffs of black smoke, the hybrids began appearing inside the dome, ready to fight.

"Great." Chris groaned. He charged and attacked one, then turned and punched another away. Chris knew that if he stayed in here, he was dead. Gathering his strength, he shot at one of the walls in a brilliant fury. In a clash of power, Chris was thrown back to the ground. He hadn't made a dent in their forces.

A hybrid jumped down at him, but Chris bounced up, bashing his nose in, then used the body as a shield to take a kick and then blasted them both away. Chris spun into a mighty kick that knocked back three hybrids, but another latched onto his back. Chris ran up the hybrid wall, flipping back into control and threw the hybrid into his comrades.

The space was too tight and more hybrids were entering. He was rapidly being outnumbered. He knew that the Dragoons would be way too distracted now to help him in any way, shape, or form. He was very much alone now.

"I don't know how you managed to divert my plan yesterday," a voice said, "but you will not do so today!" Zack suddenly appeared and kicked him into the hybrid wall. Chris pushed him back and tried for a punch, but Zack teleported out of sight. He appeared on the hybrid wall, running along it, thought Chris couldn't see, for he was blinded by the other hybrids.

Zack pushed off in a great leap, plowing through his comrades, aiming for the kill. Only too late did Chris see the scythe swinging for him. He cried out as the blade pierced his belly and stuck out his back. The hybrids stopped attacking, seeing as their goal was complete.

Zack removed his scythe and kicked him down. Chris fell onto his back, stunned from the pain and the swiftness.

"You put up a much greater fight than I ever thought you could," Zack said, "but there is strength in numbers. It was only a matter of time before we conquered you. And now…for your Dragoon friends. Perhaps we'll start with the White-Silver Dragoon, hmm?"

Chris seethed, but could hardly move, for lack of strength. In his spiritual realm, Z.S. loomed over him.

"So do you want my help or not?"

Chris closed his eyes. Zack chuckled. "At last…Zackwell's mistake is undone."

His eyes opened back up. Zack's heart skipped a beat. One eye was glowing red.

"What?!" He exclaimed.

Chris jumped to his feet as the wound over his belly sealed shut, leaving not a scratch. "You'll find out, Zack, I am FULL of surprises." He grinned and swung his arms out, bellowing his might.

In that show of power, the hybrid dome exploded, throwing hybrids everywhere. Even those that were not inside the dome or part of it were scattered across the street and stayed down, dead or dazed.

Instantly, the Dragoons were cleared of all foes. They stared at the fallen bodies and then at the cause of it all. Chris stood in a circular clearing with hybrids all around, spreading his newly-formed wings with a glowing red eye and power radiating from his body.

Slowly, Zack got back to his feet, though his comrades would need more time.

"Impossible!"

Chris/Z.S. chuckled. "Why does your type always say that?"

"It can't be."

"But I'm afraid it is."

"You're controlling your dark side!"

Z.S. and Chris looked at one another in their joined mind, then back at Zack. "You bet I am!"

"You're far more powerful than I imagined…" Zack mused.

Chris chuckled. "I find it flattering how often you say that. But I'm afraid you've overstayed your welcome…all of you." He was referring to the hybrids, which were starting to get back up.

"You're the only one who's stayed too long," Zack seethed. "Alright, no more games. DIE!!"

Zack rushed, swinging his scythe. Chris slid away and attacked with his fists, landing a few quick punches before having to evade again. Zack teleported and Chris did the same. Zack reappeared, expecting a victim, but became the victim instead of Chris's attack from behind. Zack turned and swung again. Chris ducked and jabbed him in the stomach, then blew him away. Zack dropped his scythe as he flew.

"You should really keep a better eye on your toys," Chris said, stepping up to the scythe. But as soon as he grabbed it, red sparks began to fly, sizzling Chris's spirit. "AAHH!!"

Zack teleported into an upward kick, then another, pushing Chris back.

"You fool." Zack picked up his scythe. "This weapon is granted to the King of Darkness on Earth. No one else may wield it."

Chris nodded. "Of course. Well, then, I guess I'll just have to summon the weapon specially suited for the _Prince_ of Darkness."

Zack scoffed. "There's no such thing!"

"Really?" Chris held his hands over the ground as it began to tremble and crack. As a hole began appearing in the street, red light began streaming from it. Something began to rise slowly from deep within, surrounded in roaring red flames, radiating a phenomenal heat. Chris stood in the midst of the flames, unscathed.

Jutting from the ground was a long, black hilt with a shining green gem at its base and a wicket hand guard on one side. Chris grabbed the hilt and yanked it from the ground. Extending from the hilt was a long, silver, two-edged blade. Part of the hilt extended upward in a curved fashion, like a short hook. Red flames danced all across the sword for a time, but finally subsided.

"Where did you get that?!" Zack demanded.

"Zackwell made it for me some time ago, but I took over before my dark side got a chance to use it. Of course, it can only be used when both sides are active, and now they are." He brandished the blade. "So which of you will be the first to test it?"

"Get him." Zack said nonchalantly. He cared not for a fancy blade. All the hybrids rushed at once. Chris gathered his strength and leapt in one direction, swinging his blade like a bat. One part of the oncoming dome blasted open and Chris escaped the mob. They pursued intently.

Chris's new weapon turned out to be very powerful. It hacked through the hybrids with incredible ease. They came from all directions, but Chris's speed overwhelmed them and he tore them apart. Still, they kept coming back. This is when the discovered another trick the blade possessed.

Chris jumped away from the crowd and watched them follow. He filled the sword with his dark magic and the blade began to glow a frightening crimson. With one swing, Chris cut through a hybrid. No mark was left on his body, but he fell to the ground. The other hybrids stopped cold, looking at their comrade. As he was cut, tiny, red magical shreds floated from where he was struck. His pupils vanished and he did not get back up. Instead, he withered away in black dust.

"His soul is gone," Chris said. "But you know this." His blade was still glowing red. "Who will be next?"

"Strength in numbers!" Zack encouraged his ranks. "He cannot shred us all!"

Chris smiled. "Let's see whether or not I can." This time, _he_ charged. The hybrids teleported away, fearful of a blade that could shred a soul as powerful as theirs. Chris did not stop running, but kept swinging his blade, hacking through whomever he could. One by one, the bodies began to fall, permanently.

"What should we do?" Robert asked. The Dragoons were still standing by.

"Looks like Chris has it under control," Mike marveled.

Sean rubbed his chin. "Standby, but be alert. Let's see what Chris can do."

Chris spun rapidly as he jumped, spinning through a group of hybrids, then dashed through another. If they teleported, he followed. If they attacked, he counterattacked. No matter what the hybrids attempted, they could not avoid their fate.

Chris used his incredible speed to fly about the crowd, killing hundreds of hybrids in seconds. They converged rapidly on all sides, firing their evil magic. Chris blocked the hit with a great shield, then thrashed about, killing countless more hybrids. They tried attacking with their magic from a distance, but Chris deflected the attacks, filled with soul-shredding power.

Finally, Chris swung his blade and it clashed against metal. Zack pushed back with his scythe and then charged, knocking Chris out of the sky and forcing him to the ground. The hybrids jumped on him, blasting him with all the dark magic they could.

Chris was trapped under the might of over two-thousand hybrids, with a curved blade embedded in his back. His own blade was stuck underneath his body, blade down, so he couldn't use it.

"I told you there's strength in numbers," Zack said. "No matter what you try, you will _never_ defeat us all!"

"Are you kidding?" Chris laughed. "YOU'RE RIGHT WHERE I WANT YOU!!"

The gem on Chris's blade changed from green to crimson, shining with malicious magic. Chris let it all out. With a tremendous wave and display of power, Chris blasted the hybrids away in a great crimson sphere, and jumped to his feet, watching the soulless bodies fall to the street and fade away.

"Whoa." Brad said in awe.

Brittany's eyes narrowed. "They're not _really_ dead. I mean…they'll come back." She looked at the others. "Right?"

No one knew.

Chris leaned on his blade to regain his strength as the black smoke attempted to suffocate him. When it cleared, Chris saw one more hybrid, still standing, although wobbly.

"I knew you wouldn't be that easy to kill," Chris said.

"I should hope so," Zack panted. "This scythe isn't just for decoration!" It began to shine crimson, just like Chris's blade.

The two survivors ran at one another and clashed blades. Days ago, Zack had the advantage of strength, but now, Z.S. was backing Chris up, giving him all the strength he needed. And with Chris utilizing his speed, Zack didn't stand a chance.

Chris blocked the blade, then kicked Zack in the gut and followed it with a mighty punch. Zack teleported, but Chris saw it coming and spun to punch him. Zack swung again, but Chris blocked, and then twisted his blade, catching it under the curve of the scythe and yanked it from Zack's hand. Then, he swung it back, cutting through Zack. Chris sliced him over and over again, for it would take more than a simple cut to kill the King of Darkness.

At last, Chris ran the blade through his stomach and held it there. Zack choked and gasped, trying to keep a hold of himself. He reached up and gripped Chris's shirt tightly, still seething, but the fire in his eyes was dying. His grip loosened as his pupils vanished and his body dissipated.

Chris looked around the now-empty battlefield. The commotion had attracted a crowd in the distance, and all eyes were upon him. Chris withdrew his wings and willed for his sword to disappear into thin air. The power radiating from him subsided to normal levels as he tried to catch his breath.

"Fun, wasn't it?" Z.S. said. "While you avoided them for a few days, we completely destroyed them in mere moments. You can thank me any time."

Chris sneered. "You couldn't have done it without me, either."

"I know that. I have the ability to accept and understand my destiny. Do you?"

Approaching footsteps stopped the conversation.

"Chris," Christie marveled, "what…happened?"

Chris shrugged. "I was dying, so…I took a chance and tried controlling my darker side. It paid off, as you can clearly see."

"Yeah." Ben nodded. "You wiped them out like they were nothing."

"Both parts of me are more advanced and experienced than they were. They couldn't handle the combination."

"Can you?" Sean asked him.

"Yeah…don't worry, I don't plan on using it again."

_SAY WHAT?!_ Z.S. boomed.

"I had to use it to save myself," Chris said. "But I plan on using my own powers from now on."

"Good," Christie sighed in relief. "I don't want you being taken over."

_Nobody trusts a demon…_

Brittany looked around. "So…are they really dead?"

"Yeah," Chris nodded. "Their souls were shredded. Not even they could have survived that."

"What about Zack?" Sean asked. "He was the King of Darkness. You sure he's passed down his crown?"

Chris found the scythe lying nearby. "Only one way to find out." He walked over and picked up the scythe carefully, not looking forward to another shock. This time, nothing happened.

"I guess that puts you in charge of all dark affairs then," Melissa smiled.

Chris chuckled.

Suddenly, the scythe began sparking rapidly. Chris cried out and dropped it. The scythe vanished when it hit the ground.

"I take that back," Melissa muttered.

"So he's still alive?" Jenn asked.

Chris sighed. "I think so…but I might be able to handle him."

"With your dark powers?" Christie clarified.

"I may have to."

"Just be careful," Sean said. "Ben, you come with me. There are still bound to be some pods in Mayfil. You and I are going to level that entire city."

"I love mass destruction." Ben said.

"Everyone else stay here and guard the town, although it seems our threat level has just dropped tremendously. Good work, Chris."

"Thanks, Sean. I'll be looking out for Zack."

"You do that. C'mon, Ben. Let's do some damage."

* * *

"You returned here on your own will," Lucifer mused, pacing back and forth. "Why?"

"To inform you," Zack said, "that I still live."

"To allow your wretched father some extra time, eh?" He looked over at Zackwell, who had been brought in for termination when Zack arrived.

"That, and to inform you that my business is not done."

"Your business is done when I _say_ it is!" Lucifer blared. "Over three-thousand to one and you failed?!"

"He has accentuated both sides of himself at one point or another. He had more experience than we did."

"And you want to challenge him again, don't you?"

"Yes, sir."

"What is your plan for defeating him?"

"Soul Strike. Chris may use both powers, but his light side is still in charge. By striking him with Soul Strike, I can weaken the light form while keeping the dark form intact. Once the dark side is freed, he will take control again and the threat will be eliminated."

"No, it won't." Lucifer countered. "That demon has lost too many battles against his lighter side. I want him eliminated."

Zack nodded. "Very well. Together, they are a challenge, but I can tear them apart individually."

Zackwell raised his hand. "I can help him."

"SILENCE!!" Lucifer snapped at Zackwell, then looked at Zack. "_I_ will assist you."

"My Lord?" Zack jumped.

"I see a way to turn the situation upside down. Through my craft, I will unnerve him. But _you_ must destroy him yourself to prove your worth. Now, be gone!" Zack left and Lucifer forced Zackwell out of his chambers. Then, he sat down in his great chair, rubbing his temple.

"If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry if the fight scene was a little bland. I was kinda dead when I did it. Anywho, one hybrid still lives. Will his plan work, or will Chris overpower him? Will Chris master the darkness or be rendered asunder? What will become of Z.S.'s experiment? What will he learn? What will he do with his information? Those questions, most or all, ot be answered in the next chapter. Just two to go, unless something goes wrong. Thanks for the reviews and keep 'em coming!


	30. Reason

OPENING NOTES: Thanks for all your reviews. Keep 'em coming! C'mon, 200! C'mon 200!!!!

Chapter Thirty: Reason

Not everybody was content with the destruction of the hybrids. Chris found this out the hard way.

Sean gave the word to the mayor that most of the hybrids had been destroyed, and while one might be alive, the city could relax. Mayfil had been destroyed and they would frequently check up on it to make sure Zack didn't rebuild it.

Z.S. did nothing to hinder Chris from living his life, but continued in his observational research. He had yet to reach any conclusions. Chris had no idea what kind of conclusions he could make, nor what they would mean for him and the world, but he was certain that he couldn't use love and compassion as a weapon, especially for a dark purpose. He did not fight Z.S., seeing as he still needed his help, as much as he hated to admit it.

All Chris wanted to do was rid himself of the darkness, but after fighting the hybrids, he wondered if he would ever be able to. Would he really need Z.S.'s help every time he fought?

Was he fated to?

Chris would soon discover that fate still had a few things in for him. He was out on the town, celebrating the victory with Caleb, Nick, and Cara. Z.S. was making comments on their behavior, curious as always.

_Is it similarities that bind you? Experiences? Beliefs?_

Chris blocked the voice in his head, just trying to have some fun.

"To think that this dork would have ever turned out to be a hero never crossed my mind," Caleb said. He was talking about when they had all first met, before they knew Chris's secret. "I thought you were naïve, but I never knew you were _that_ naïve."

Chris laughed. "Yeah, I didn't have much time to catch up on human norms."

"I remember thinking you were a weirdo and a pervert," Cara admitted, "the way you stared at me that first day."

"I also hadn't had much time to discover the power of human females. I'm just glad you changed your mind."

"As am I." She kissed his cheek.

"Three-thousand hybrids," Nick was still marveling. "I still can't believe you tackled them all! Well, all but one."

"Don't you mean all but two?" A voice asked. The four of them turned around, seeing a young man in their grade walking towards them. They recognized him as Blake, an unpleasant student.

"What do you want?" Cara asked snidely.

"You said he killed them all but one. You forgot the other hybrid still lurking around."

"What hybrid?" Chris asked.

"You." Blake stepped forward. "You're a hybrid too, aren't you?"

Chris had a bad feeling as to where this was going. "I'm not like them."

"But you are one of them, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"So…how can we know you won't be the next killer?"

"Chris isn't like that," Nick said. "The darkness doesn't control him like it did them."

"Maybe," Blake shrugged, "but maybe it's a ruse. If his dark side can fight, maybe it can act on its own."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Chris leered.

Blake stood up even with him, eye to eye. "It means I don't like you."

_Ooh, I'm scared,_ Z.S. mocked. _Say it!_

Chris ignored him. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Not quite as sorry as you're about to be." Blake pulled a handgun from his jacket and pointed it at Chris's head. As soon as people saw the gun, they began to panic and run, save for Chris and his friends.

"Whoa, Blake!" Caleb jumped.

"What are you doing?!" Cara exclaimed.

Chris kept his trap shut tight, glaring at the boy. He had to fight off Z.S.'s desire to tear his arm off, just for threatening him. "What's the deal, Blake?" He asked calmly, but sternly.

"The deal is," Blake said, cocking his gun a bit, "I don't trust you one bit. You're just like them, you said so yourself."

"I am not just like them. We have the same genetic makeup, but they are controlled by darkness. I am not."

"How do I know that's not a ruse?"

Chris shrugged. "You don't. But I'm the only thing that can stop them, and one still lives. If you have a problem, deal with it afterwards. Until then, I have work to do."

"Not if I have my way."

"What are you going to do, Blake? Kill me and let the other hybrid roam the world free to do as he pleases?"

"That's why we have the Dragoons."

"And I'm one of them."

"Would you kill a Dragoon? "Cara sneered.

Blake wasn't much unnerved. "If you're a Dragoon, where's your spirit?"

Chris quickly realized that he still had not gotten it back from Ben. He grinded his teeth in frustration.

"No answer?" Blake scoffed. "I guess that makes you a liar then, freak."

That had always been a term Chris wasn't too fond of, and Blake could see it in his eyes.

"Yeah, that's all you are, a freak, a genetic failure, a screw-up!"

"Don't push me, Blake," Chris was getting angrier by the second. "I told you that I still have things to do, and I can't afford to be killed by the likes of you."

"By the likes of me? You mean a human? Think you're better than we are?"

Chris cocked his head. "Need proof?" In a white blur, he grabbed Blake's gun hand and twisted it around his back, keeping his finger from pulling the trigger.

"AH!" Blake cried out as his arm was pushed upward painfully.

"I don't care that you don't like me," Chris said, "and I don't care that you don't understand me. But the truth is, I'm one of the good guys. I'm trying to save you, so back off!" He yanked the gun from his hand and pushed him down. Chris snapped the gun in half, rendering it useless and returned to his friends. "C'mon, guys, let's go."

They began walking back, only taking one look back each.

Blake got back to his knees. He'd been prepared for such a thing and pulled a second handgun from his jacket. "Demon freak!!"

Chris turned at the voice and saw the gun fire. Time slowed as Chris used his powers of light to avoid the bullet. He bent to the side, twisting his shoulders and felt the bullet fly past. He righted himself and shot a white wave, blasting Blake back and knocking the gun from his hand.

"Oh my God!!" Cara exclaimed.

Chris turned around and froze in utmost horror. The bullet had found a target.

Caleb looked up from his blood-covered gut, up at Blake, who also could do little more than stare.

Caleb sneered. "Who needs hybrids…when there are people like you?!"

He turned away, holding his hand over the wound, although he knew it was futile. The blood flow wouldn't stop so easily. His gut hurt with every step he took. Caleb wasn't even sure where he was walking. He just wanted to walk away from the scene.

Nick and Cara tried following him, but he pushed them away. Chris could only stare as Caleb turned and hobbled down an alley. Nick and Cara followed.

Finally, Chris chased after them. He could already hear people calling 911, but something told him it would be too late by the time they arrived. Caleb fell to his knees. With Nick and Cara's help, he rolled onto his back. They were both panicked, but tried their best to help. Nick was using his jacket to try and cover the wound. Cara was just trying to stop crying.

"Just relax," Nick said, starting to choke. "Help will come."

Caleb was quiet, just staring up at the sky, keeping shockingly calm. He'd never expected it to happen now…at this time in his life.

Chris felt unbearably helpless standing there, watching his friend fade away slowly. Then, a though crossed his mind.

"I can heal you," he said.

"What?" Cara looked up at him.

Chris knelt down beside Caleb. "I can heal you. I can fix the wound, I have the power now."

But to his surprise, Caleb lifted his hand in protest. "No…no, Chris…don't do it."

Chris was stunned. "No? Why not?"

Caleb actually chuckled a little, even though it hurt him. "Haven't you learned anything? Our lives are not as important as your freedom."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't want you…delving too deep in the darkness. It starts with me…but where…does it end?" His voice became fainter as his eyes began to glaze. "I don't want to live…to see you overwhelmed again."

Chris shook his head. "But…."

"People die for a reason, Chris," Caleb said with one last smile. "It's for the better…trust me…"

Caleb closed his eyes and accepted his fate. Just like that, it was over. Chris couldn't take his eyes off his friend, nor come to grips with what he had just seen. Nick was trembling. Cara was already weeping. It hadn't been in a battle, it had been in less than a street fight. He hadn't even had a chance. Chris couldn't get one thing out of his mind: it should have been him. He could've taken the hit and recovered from it, but he evaded and now Caleb had paid the penalty.

_Why didn't he let you heal him?_ Z.S. asked, baffled. Chris was in no mood to deal with him. He just sat on his rear and lowered his face into his hand.

Z.S. watched him cry, curious. The tie between them had been strong, very strong to have such an impact upon being severed. It a demon was destroyed, no one bothered. Just one more loss to a greater cause. Why did the humans suffer at each parting?

Z.S. did note, however, that he felt a strange sort of tingling in his spirit. Probably from being so close to Chris, but he could not feel the full effect.

Facing away from his friends, Nick stood up, fists twitching with want. Before anyone could talk him out of it, Nick ran back down the alley.

"Nick, wait!" Cara called.

"He's mine!!" Nick shouted back.

"Nick, no!" Chris shouted, jumping to his feet and chasing him. "Nick, he's got a gun!!"

He wasn't listening. Nick ran back out into the street and Chris followed. As soon as he emerged, Chris turned and saw Blake standing again, pulling the trigger. Chris kicked in his high speed, racing the bullet that was not aiming for him, but the first person Blake had seen coming.

As he ran, Chris watched as the bullet slowly, yet quickly made its way for Nick's head. He'd been caught off guard and the bullet was faster than the hybrids had been. Both rushed at Nick from a different angle, drawing nearer and nearer.

Fearing he wouldn't make it, Chris made one mighty bound, for the bullet, hand outstretched. He braced himself for the impact. He watched as the bullet slipped through the gap between his ring and middle fingers and inserted itself in Nick's head.

Chris landed and looked at his hand. No bullet. Upon hearing the slump, he turned to see Nick, lying on the ground in a pool of his own blood.

He'd failed.

_BLAM!!_

Chris jolted and flopped on the ground, joining his two friends.

Blake scoffed. He kept hold of his gun because the police were already being called and he wasn't going down without a fight.

In the spiritual realm, Z.S. got to his knees and grabbed Chris by the back of his shirt. "C'mon, get up." He pulled Chris up, who was slowly starting to recover.

"Just who do you think you are?!" Cara yelled at Blake through the tears. "Are you so afraid of something that's different?!"

"He was evil." Blake said, nearly emotionless. "You'll thank me later."

"You…you…" She couldn't think of any words foul enough, so she struck at him, but Blake shoved her back.

"C'mon," Z.S. said, "get up!"

"They were innocent." Chris muttered. "They were unarmed…they didn't do anything."

Z.S. began to feel a tingle running through his spirit. Small flames began to sprout on his body. His eyes narrowed. "The flames of fury and revenge." Z.S. heard shouting, so he turned to the source.

"You're just blind and stupid, aren't you?!" Blake was yelling. "He would have killed us all had I not killed him. He was one of them!"

"I don't care who he was!" Cara screamed back. "I don't care if he was evil or not, I still loved him!"

"You loved a hybrid?" Blake asked, incredulously.

"Yes, I did! I loved him even with the evil spirit inside!"

"And you would have done anything for him?"

"Yes!"

Z.S. was a bit surprised. "Are there no limits?" He asked himself.

Blake glared at her. "If you supported him," he pointed his gun at her head, "then you're evil, too."

He pulled the trigger.

Z.S. and Chris jumped at the gunshot and watched Cara fall to the ground, lifeless.

"No," Chris whispered. "No, no, NO!!"

Z.S. was still holding onto Chris. Sparks began to fly from the hand that held him and traveled across his body, causing him to swell with energy. Z.S. dropped Chris, marveling at the strength that surged across him, and basking in the tremendous feeling of might within.

"Hatred," he said. "Rage! Vengeance! This is it!" He laughed. "This is the power!!"

Dark fire began to roar.

The eyes of their body opened. Z.S. made it stand up and caused the wings to emerge as flames licked across his body.

Blake saw his victim standing up and slowly began to back away, full of fear.

Z.S. was hunched over, taking in his newfound might. His appearance filled the spectators with terror. Great black wings covered his body, though they could see the shimmering red eyes and bulging muscles. Sulfur emitted from Z.S.'s breath as his skin began to blacken. A pillar of dark fire had consumed him, but he was unharmed by it.

Slowly, Z.S. uncrossed his arms and stood to his full height. Blake fired his gun rapidly, but it was no use.

"You feared me," Z.S. said in an eerie voice as his hands began to morph into claws. "You feared nothing." Black horns began to protrude from the back of his head. He hissed, showing his teeth, which had sharpened. "Now…I'll give you something to fear!!"

A rush of flame shot from Z.S.'s hands. In a panic, Blake dove to the side, rolling rapidly to extinguish what flames had touched him. Z.S. gathered a flaming ball into his hands. Blake predicted the next move and dove away. The fireball hit a parked car, blasting it sky high. The humans were running for shelter in the nearby alleyways.

Blake got to his feet and began running, but a clawed hand grabbed hold of him and threw him into another nearby car. Z.S. punched him in the face, then picked him up and head butted him three times. Z.S. then tossed him into the air and blasted him against a nearby wall with a red beam. Before he fell, Z.S. warped to him and bashed him in the gut with his knee. Z.S. gave a great uppercut, knocking him into the air again, then grabbed him by the throat, pinning him against the wall. Blake had long since been beaten. Unlike Z.S.'s previous opponents, Blake had not been built for such torture.

"Ungrateful human fool," Z.S. spat, gathering black energy into his hand. He drew back his fist and Blake cringed. Suddenly, it stopped.

Chris pushed Z.S. back in their spiritual realm, glowing in heavenly power.

"That's enough!!"

"Enough?!" Z.S. returned. "This human took the lives of those closest to you! I thought you wanted to avenge them!"

"I did," Chris admitted, "but then I realized something."

"What?!"

"Taking his life…would make me no better than him."

Z.S. didn't care for such excuses, but quickly realized he had no choice. His power was quickly fading. On the outside, his skin returned to its normal color and his wings withdrew. His claws were turning back into hands and the horns were retracting.

"What's happening?" Z.S. asked. "What's happening to my power?"

"You said it yourself," Chris said. "Hatred, rage, and vengeance drove you." He shook his head. "Those were my instincts…by I don't really want those things."

Z.S. looked at his body, now almost entirely human again. He looked back up at Blake.

"Let him go." Chris said. "Now."

Z.S. knew he could still easily kill this human, but he didn't know how far Chris was willing to go in order to save him. However, he didn't want to find out, especially with the conclusions he was starting to draw. Z.S. threw the miserable human to the ground, who began crawling away, whimpering.

The flash of cameras attracted their attention. Humans were starting to poke their heads out again.

"Get us out of here," Chris requested. Z.S. did so.

* * *

The Dragoons were informed of what had happened and rushed to the scene, but it was long-since over. Three dead bodies were loaded into ambulances and carted away. Death by gunshot. One each. As tragic as the event was, the Dragoons were glad that the culprit didn't escape. Blake was arrested and charged with manslaughter on two accounts, as well as murder on one. Caleb and Nick had been accidents while he was aiming at Chris. Cara had been outright and intentional. Blake didn't get an exact number, but he knew that he was going away for a very, very long time.

There were plenty of witnesses to give account to all that had happened. Blake shot three innocent humans while trying to kill Chris. That's when the disturbances poured in. Chris had mutated into something bizarre and assaulted Blake, who was being taken to the hospital to be treated for various injuries. However, they all said that Chris had changed back to normal and left him alive, then vanished.

The Dragoons split up and began a search for Chris…or Z.S. They weren't sure what they would find.

At the edge of town, far from the busy streets and staring eyes, two figures took refuge atop a bluff, just past the shelter or the trees. One had white hair and wore clothing of the same color. He sat at the edge of the ravine, his eyes red and moist from the many tears he had shed. Now, he just stared at the ground, motionless and silent. The other had black hair and clothing. He leaned his back against a rock, arms folded over one another, deep in thought. He was not saddened by the events of the day, but he had to admit that they had done something to him.

Z.S. looked over at Chris, a miserable wreck at the edge of a cliff.

"Why is connection so important to humans if it has such negative effects as this?"

Chris wiped his eyes, but didn't turn to him as he answered. "It's human nature to desire acceptance. We like connection."

"Even though it causes great sadness when it is severed?"

"Yes. I'm sad now because I was happy many times before. It's worth a time of sadness for more times of happiness."

Z.S. let it drop. It made sense.

Chris shook his head. "Why am I even talking to you about this? It's all just a big experiment to you anyway. You don't care that they're dead."

Z.S. waved his hand. "It is not in my nature to care for others." He looked over the ravine. "However…I do wish Cara had not been lost with the others."

"Why her? Some emotional tie through me?"

He chuckled. "Yes, and no. No, I did not love her as you did. However, I appreciated that she stood up for me. She told Blake that she could accept both sides of our being."

"And why would she do that?"

He stood up straight. "Because she loved you. It allowed her to accept you wholly, even with me lurking over your shadow. She accepted me because I was part of you." He smirked. "So in a way…she loved me, too."

Chris scoffed and looked away.

"If Caleb had taken on a similar view," Z.S. continued, "he would still be here."

"He's not here because somebody shot him. Caleb…accepted his fate."

Z.S. leaned back against the rock. "Nick, however, is perplexing. He ran right into the trap of an armed man, trying to get revenge. He wouldn't listen to reason and paid the price for it. It seems that if emotions are too strong, they can lead to any number of abnormalities."

Chris looked at the ground. "He wanted so badly to get back at Blake that he lost his own life. I couldn't save him…"

Z.S. was silent for a moment, and then spoke again, walking away from the rock. "Well, you may be saddened by today's events, but they have taught me a few things and brought my experiment to a close.

Chris turned to him. "What? Don't tell me you understand love now."

Z.S. scoffed. "As if! I've given up on understanding that. All I know is that it's there and it's powerful."

Chris couldn't stifle a chuckle. "That's about as much as any of us know."

"In any case, I've figured out the reason why you became so powerful the other day and the reason that I became so powerful today. I know the reason why we unleashed our true forms. It's the same reason many things have happened."

"And the reason is…?"

Z.S. smiled. "Reason."

Chris raised a brow. "Come again?"

"Love alone was too narrow of a category to study." He looked Chris in the eye. "How did Christie free you from my grasp so long ago? She connected with you and loved you as a mother would. That mother's love made her powerful enough to free you. How did the Dragoons make it to Mayfil alive and destroy Zackwell's empire without their powers? They had a desire to save the world, and it overpowered Zackwell's desire to rule all. How did Zackwell transform himself into the monster we saw? His hatred for Sean was so great that it morphed him. Why did Caleb allow himself to die? He wanted to protect the world from me. That overruled his human instinct to survive. Why did Nick rush out recklessly? He wanted vengeance so badly, it overruled his sense."

Z.S. was beaming with his realizations. "How did you stop the disaster at the train station? You had a passion for human kind and your will to sacrifice yourself in order to save them gave you phenomenal power. How did I unleash my potential? It was your hatred for Blake, your desire for revenge, and the fury built up within you. You could not express it, being as you are, so it transferred to me."

Chris wasn't seeing it. "And the connection is…?"

"Reason! All of these events happened because of the reason behind them, the will that drove the person to perform an abnormality in one way or another."

Chris began to understand. "Where there's a will, there's a way?"

"Yes! That's exactly it! Purpose! Having a purpose of any sort, be it for light or darkness, well-planned or hair-brained, causes a person to perform tasks outside of their norm. That's how to unlock potential: having a reason, a need to do so."

"But what about you? Isn't your purpose to rule the world?"

"First off, that is _our_ purpose, but it's actually just who we are, who we're supposed to be. A purpose cannot be forced upon a person, I don't think. No, it has to come from the heart, from the soul, to be powerful enough."

Chris had to admit he was enlightened. "You've been thinking hard on this, haven't you?"

"You see? My desire to learn brought me to the conclusion."

Chris put a blank face back on. "And what are you going to do with this conclusion?"

Z.S. chuckled. "Isn't it obvious? Find a purpose! Once I have a motive of my own, I can unleash my full potential. But think about this! We are a joined body. What if we found a joint purpose?" He grinned deviously. "What could we do?"

"I'd rather not think about it." Chris turned away.

Z.S. frowned. "Of course. Always running from me…running from the darkness. Sooner or later, Chris, you're going to have to realize something."

"What's that?"

"That it's who you are. The darkness is part of you, as the light is part of me."

Chris stared over the bluff, looking at all the land below. He pondered his life, every event that had led up to now. His birth, his freedom, his life as a human, his recapture, his return to humanity, his internal struggle, his loss, and, though he wouldn't admit it, his reason.

"Maybe you're right."

Z.S. turned to him. "Say that again?"

"Maybe that's why I can't do anything myself. I couldn't free myself, I couldn't defeat Zackwell, I couldn't defeat the hybrids, and I couldn't save my friends. I've been trying everything myself. The problem is…I wasn't designed to work on my own." He turned to Z.S. "I was given a counterpart for a reason."

"Now you're starting to see it." Z.S. said. "I could not keep my grip on you, nor could I stop the Dragoons from claiming you. I was stealing your power, but essentially, I was fighting alone. A foolish move on my part, too."

"We've both been pretty foolish."

"But now, we're both seeing much more clearly."

A distant explosion interrupted their conversation. They both turned and looked towards the city. In the distance, they could see smoke beginning to billow. Another explosion flashed in the city.

"Now what?" Chris asked.

"Zack, no doubt," Z.S. said. "Come back to finish what he started, I assume." He looked at Chris. So how about it? We take back what's rightfully ours: the Throne of Darkness." He extended his hand. "It's the way it was meant to be."

Chris smile, almost demonically. "Yeah…let's make our father proud." He took Z.S.'s hand. They merged again into a single, omnipotent being and headed for the city.

The sun was setting on the city. Smoke was billowing into the sky and magical power was colliding.

The Dragoons answered the call of distress, but Zack was not interested in them.

"Where is he?!" He demanded while deflecting their attacks. "Where is he?!"

He flew high into the sky and shouted down below, "Chris Freeman!! Answer me! Come out of your hiding place and face me!!"

A sudden impact stunned him. Chris drove him to the ground, making a great crater in the street. No one was driving anymore since the explosions started. Chris bounced back and landed on his feet, wings spread, ready for a fight.

Zack jumped up. "So here you are. Surprised to see me?"

"Not really." Chris shook his head. "I put two and two together when the scythe wouldn't answer to me."

"Very good. I don't know how you overpowered your darker side, but you won't have much time to use it!"

Chris smirked. "Then I'd best use it to the best of my ability." He eye shone brightly as his wings spread behind his back. "Come on, then! Let's do it!"

Power swarmed across Zack's body. "No more games."

"No more running!"

"This is it!"

"It all ends here!"

Zack's eye shone. "YOU'RE MINE, DRAGOON OF DEATH!!"

Sparks flew from Chris's body. "TIME TO DIE, KING OF DARKNESS!!"

TO BE CONCLUDED...

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Man, that was fun! Kinda like a movie moment. Everything gets all intense and BAM! To be continued. In this case, though, it will be concluded. One more chapter to wrap everything up. Chris and Z.S. are finally working together. What will become of it? Will they emerge triumphant? Will their truce last? Everything will be answered in the next chapter. The last one is the best! The greatest scenes! The greatest battles! A battle for power and a struggle to survive! The peaks of power and the depths of Hell! COMING SOON!!


	31. Zackwell's Success

Chapter Thirty-One: Zackwell's Success

Chris ran first, charging with all his pent-up fury. He'd had it up to his teeth with _everything_. Zack was only a second behind in the charge. The Dragoons stood on the sidelines. This was their battle. Still, they stood poised and ready, should Chris need their help. However, the fire in his eyes said that he could take care of himself.

The hybrids collided in a great shockwave that moved everything but the two of them. Chris used his speed to strike first, planting two punches to Zack's face. The third was blocked and countered with a jab to his ribs. Zack head butted Chris hard, stunning him for a second, then kicked him in the side of the head, then spun the other foot to knock him down. Chris ducked under the last kick and performed a dash-punch, catching Zack by surprise.

Chris continued with two quick punches and then a kick to the side. Zack thrust a punch forward, but Chris bent back and saw it stop above his face. He grabbed the fist and spun around to Zack's back, twisting the arm as he went. Zack cried out in pain, but used his strength the twist it right back, then took Chris's hand and twisted it behind his back in the same way. Chris sacrificed himself by sliding downward, enduring a sickening crack in his shoulder. He did this to bring his foot up and kick Zack in the face, then leaned forward, swinging his foot behind himself to kick Zack in the gut, then planted that foot on the ground while spinning around into a mighty kick that drove Zack to the ground.

Z.S. healed the bone for Chris and he was good as new. He liked being able to do that.

Zack got up and spun into a wild punch. Chris jumped back and then back forward with a kick. Zack took the hit and grabbed Chris's leg. He spun around, throwing him into a building. However, Chris flipped in air, landing with both feet on the building, standing perpendicular to the ground. Chris put his fists above his head and jumped, spinning into a corkscrew punch.

Chris ended up on Zack's chest, punching him in the face a few times. Zack got sick of it very quickly. He grabbed Chris's fist and held it there, then created a shockwave, shooting Chris high into the sky. He teleported to where he was and swung a punch. Chris couldn't help but take the hit, but when Zack teleported above him and tried striking him again, Chris braced himself and grabbed his fist right as he punched him. They were falling now and teleporting wouldn't help Zack, for he'd take Chris with him. Zack kicked Chris away.

Chris flipped and landed on his feet, then jumped right back up, punching Zack in the gut. He stayed in the air, swinging as many punches as possible while Zack was dazed, then performed a back flip kick and finished his assault by shooting a great white beam, blowing Zack away.

He skidded along the pavement for a good distance before finally hitting a car along the side of the road and stopping. He stood to his feet, healing the seared flesh and pushing bones back into place. Then, he stood with one side facing away from Chris. With his hidden hand, he summoned demonic magic, shimmering an eerie blue.

_Chris, _Z.S. said, _how about you show off some more of that speed?_

Chris liked the idea. He began gathering his white magic.

Zack saw him coming and kept his attack hidden. "Come on," he whispered. "Come and get me." It would take a lot of speed and key timing to make this happen.

Chris shone brightly and ran. Zack thrust his fist forward, brimming with the power of Soul Strike. Chris ran right into it, skewering himself on Zack's arm. He collided with Zack, stopping in place, temporarily stunned.

"Gotcha," Zack said with a grin. He withdrew his hand and swung a mighty punch with it. The fist passed clean through him, but it tore him apart on the inside. His other hand glowed and Zack punched rapidly, pummeling Chris with his dark magic. Mighty as he was, Soul Strike was not something he could simply take and move along. Each attack stunned him and rendered him helpless for a minute, not that he had such time to recover.

Zack kept attacking rapidly, keeping Chris in a helpless state. Then, he shot up a mighty kick, knocking Chris into the air, then teleported into many attacks, shooting through Chris with glowing fists. He landed hard on the pavement, but barely felt the impact. He was too dazed.

_Get up!_ Z.S. said, trying to help him. _Get up!_

Chris forced himself to move, pulling his shaky limbs into place and pushing himself up to his feet. However, when he looked up, Zack had another surprise for him. He summoned his scythe and twisted the blade at the butt of it. He pulled it from the handle, revealing the long chain attached to it. Zack swung the chain at Chris. It wrapped around him a couple times before impaling itself into his chest. Then, Zack filled it with blue energy. Soul Strike power flowed through the chain and into Chris's body. He cried out, but instantly became too weak to break free.

Zack yanked the chain to the left, smashing Chris into a car, then swung him back to the right, slamming him against a building. He allowed the chain to flow to its maximum length, then jumped into the air, spinning like a top, with Chris following at a distance. As Zack spun, the chain was long enough for Chris to run into a building on either side of the street over and over again, making numerous marks on their structures as they ascended. Chris was helpless.

Zack made a few full-force swings into all the nearest buildings and finally gave the chain a mighty crack, like a giant quip. The Soul-Shredding chain tore from Chris's body painfully. Zack jumped up and planted a two-footed kick to send Chris flying down the street. He landed, rolled, and skidded to a stop on his stomach. He didn't get up.

In the spiritual realm, Z.S. shook off the attack. Chris had been in the primary position and took all the hits from the Soul Strike. Now, he was as motionless as the body he possessed.

Z.S. shook him. "Chris, get up! Get up!"

His fingers twitched, but that was it.

"Is that all?" Zack shouted, walking closer. "I know you're not beaten yet! Get up and fight me!"

Z.S. ran his fingers through his hair. Time to blow their cover.

Zack watched as the body of his opponent began to stir. Slowly, he rose to his feet, regaining his strength. The white wing became dark and murky as the feathers slowly turned black. With two glowing red eyes, the hybrid looked at Zack.

"Ah," Zack mused. "Back in charge now?"

Z.S. blinked and then spread the vilest, most malicious grin across his face.

In that instant, Zack saw it all. His smile fell from his face as his eyes grew in size. Sulfur hissed from Z.S.'s mouth. Horrified, Zack pointed at him, bellowing the full story in one word for all to hear.

"_TRAITOR!!!!"_

Z.S. lunged in a teleport fury, striking Zack at every side and angle before the word had finished echoing. He teleported again into a flurry of fist and foot strikes in every useful position he could muster, utilizing the greatest advantages of his demonic self.

Z.S. appeared in front of Zack and gave three mighty punches to his ribs, then head-butted him backwards, teleporting behind him with a mighty spinning kick, knocking him into a building. Z.S. made a dozen more punches, cracking the wall with every strike and stunning Zack with every hit, so there would be no chance of a counter attack.

Z.S. head-butted him again, not even feeling the blow, though his forehead was bleeding significantly. He swung a mighty uppercut, shooting Zack into the sky, then teleported above him, striking him back down, then teleported into the ground, shooting upwards into a concrete-covered punch. Finally, before Zack hit the ground, Z.S. teleported into the building and shot a dark wave outward, blowing the building open on the side facing Zack, throwing him across the street.

Zack tried to stand, but he was still dazed. Z.S. walked up to him and picked him up by his collar, head-butting him three more times. Then, he stood him up and punched him four more times in the face. Then, he reeled back on his wings, using them as supports as he pummeled his face with a barrage of kicks. Then, he held his head in place with one foot while giving a flat-footed kick with the other. As Zack stumbled, Z.S. shot him into the air again with an uppercut, then gathered all his energy into his leg, jumping into the air and swinging a great kick, blasting Zack down the street.

Z.S. used this as an opportunity to catch his breath. That assault had taken a deal out of him, but he felt he'd used it at the right time, while Zack was caught off guard. Still, Chris needed to wake up, and quickly. Powerful as he was, Zack would overwhelm him alone.

Zack jumped to his feet, fuming with energy to renew himself. He teleported to a fair distance in front of Z.S.

"Traitor," he seethed.

Z.S. spread his arms. "You've already said that!"

"It won't change your fate." He jabbed his finger at him. "You cannot begin to imagine how terrible your fate is going to be."

"You let me worry about that. Why don't you just worry about your own impending doom?" He grinned.

Zack scoffed. "I was already planning on destroying you for your failure to contain the situation. Now, my resolve is even stronger."

"I just hope you didn't expect it to be easy." Z.S. leapt at him, but Zack jumped backwards, flapping his wings rapidly to get airborne. Z.S. followed with heat.

Z.S. swung a few unsuccessful swipes before getting in a good punch. Zack ducked under the next and countered by jabbing him in the ribs, then knocking him up with an uppercut and kicking him back. Z.S. shook off the attack and rushed for another. Zack let himself be tackled and rolled in the air with the impact, and reversed the attack, slamming Z.S. against a wall building.

Zack punched his face, knocking Z.S.'s head back against the steel and concrete, creating a small crack. He punched him three more times, creating more cracks. Then, he swung his knee up, bashing him in the ribs and kicked him into the wall. Zack recoiled from the impact and charged forward again. This time, Z.S. braced himself properly.

When Zack struck him, Z.S. took little heed of the hit and struck back, his claws searing the flesh on Zack's face. Zack punched back, but Z.S. ran his claws through Zack's belly. He cried out and lurched forward. When he did this, Z.S. sank his sharp teeth into Zack's neck, biting down as hard as he could muster. Zack punched him furiously in the stomach until Z.S. could take it no more. With one more swipe, and without removing his teeth, Z.S. smacked Zack away and jumped away from the building.

Z.S. spat blood and wiped his mouth. "You're forgetting your roots, _brother_."

"I am a highly evolved being," Zack replied, a ball of light beginning to glow in his hand. "I rely on strategy and intelligence, not instinct." He threw the ball. Z.S. crossed his arms and took the hit, then lunged at him. Zack spun out of the way, hitting him with a glowing white fist, and then striking him with a thrown ball of light.

Z.S. grunted as the ball hit him, then regained his altitude. "Don't delve too deeply into the light," he warned. "It will consume you."

Zack smirked. "What did I just say about being a highly evolved being?"

"You're only a travesty." He shot a dark ray from his hands. Zack responded with a white beam. After a moment of getting nowhere, Z.S. teleported behind him for an attack. Zack spun and bashed him in the face, then shot him with the light ray, blowing him back. Zack then teleported into a light attack, slicing through Z.S., then kicked him down. Zack's hands began to glow blue, the color of the Soul Strike attack. He dashed through Z.S.'s body, then shot upward through him again. He came back down for one more attack.

Suddenly, he was stopped. Z.S.'s hands were also glowing blue and now had a tight grip on Zack's. He flipped backwards, swinging his foot up and kicking Zack in the face, then blew him away with a dark wave.

"That trick won't work!" He rushed at Zack in a bum rush and punched him in the gut.

"How about _this_?!" Zack revealed the light ball he held in his hand by shoving it in Z.S.'s face. The ball erupted on contact. Z.S. recoiled, clutching his eyes and screaming in pain. Zack took this opportunity to unleash a massive assault, throwing every mighty punch and kick he could muster, then jumping back and throwing a barrage of light balls.

To end it, Zack grabbed Z.S. and began forcing him downwards. As Z.S.'s vision began returning, he saw the pavement rushing at him at a great speed. When they were just close enough, Zack released him and forced him down the rest of the way with a ray of great light. The civilians far away would see a great white light. Those nearby would be blinded by it. Some would see a great crated blown into the ground, but not the victim inside it.

Z.S. was dazed and confused until Zack reappeared. He shot up through the ground, punching Z.S. out of the hole and kicked him away. Z.S. slid on his side and tried getting up.

Zack began walking towards him. "Be grateful I am killing you now. Can you imagine the tortures awaiting you in the Abyss?"

Z.S. stood up, seeing the Dragoons flying nearer, trying to keep up with the scene. "If I fall now…if this body falls…they will avenge it."

"Who? The Dragoons? Ha! They are merely human. I will tear them from their armor and strew their bodies across the street! They will die shortly after you do."

Z.S. shook his head. "You're wrong. No one can defeat the Dragoons. Not you, not me," He chuckled. "Certainly not Zackwell. Not even Lucifer can conquer them."

"And what makes you so sure?"

"Purpose."

"Purpose?"

"Theirs is higher than any we could ever know. And there are many of them. Their combined purposes overpower us all."

"We shall see. Or rather…_I_ will. You're only going to live a moment longer." He shoved Z.S. back with a white wave. He caught himself, but Zack had already gathered energy into his hands. With an outcry, he shoved his hands forwards.

Z.S. was knocked back by the blast, but not nearly as far as he expected. Even stranger, he lay on the pavement, the light attack was flying all around him, but not hurting him.

Zack gave his all in the light beam, wishing to eradicate the traitor once and for all. However, when he finally dropped the attack, Z.S. was still alive. Someone had gotten in his way. That someone was shimmering in the light, basking in it.

"You…" He seethed.

Chris lowered his hand and the light stopped. Z.S. got back to his feet and stood parallel with Chris, both of them facing Zack, who looked anything but happy. He quickly summoned his scythe.

"I'll take you both out!"

Chris and Z.S. smirked and joined hands. With a flash, their bodies came together as one. The True Hybrid lifted his hands and summoned his great blade. The entire sword shone a terrible crimson, and then suddenly vanished, transferring the energy into the hands of its bearer.

Chris glared at Zack, hands shimmering with red energy. Without heed, he ran at his foe. Zack charged as well, swinging his scythe. Chris ducked under it, then punched him in the gut to stun him. That was all he needed. Chris grabbed Zack's head and yanked his arms outward. Zack's body stayed intact, but fell to the ground as both halves of his soul were torn apart by Chris's hands.

That was all it took. Chris kept his arms held outward, breathing heavily, waiting for both halves of the soul to completely wither away so that they might not find their way back to one another. Once they had all withered in the wind and the body had done the same, Chris lowered his hands and relaxed.

_We did it,_ Z.S. said.

_Yeah,_ Chris agreed. _We did it.

* * *

_

Zackwell had been watching the fight from Lucifer's chamber. He was way beyond frightened now as he slowly looked up at his master, whose hand was twitching. Zackwell knew that Lucifer wasn't all that keen on keeping his anger in. As soon as he saw a flinch, he braced himself, just in time. Zackwell shot up through Lucifer's chambers, landing outside in the black layer. Lucifer appeared shortly after, right in front of him.

"My Lord," Zackwell pleaded.

"_SILENCE!!_" Lucifer roared, great flames shooting from his body. "You…and your infernal project! Not only has it failed numerous times…but now…your demon has turned against us!!"

"He is only one!"

"ALL IT TAKES IS ONE!!" Lucifer erupted like a volcano. "One who knows our ways, our styles! One who knows how to defeat us! One traitor is all it takes!!"

"You cannot possibly blame me!"

"WHY NOT?!" A stream a fire threw Zackwell against a prison cell. "It was YOUR project, YOUR son, and YOUR failure! The last one!!" He grabbed Zackwell and threw him to the ground, then called to the many demons about. "I wish to destroy this filth myself, but the threat on the surface is more immediate. I shall deal with it personally, as to avoid mistakes." He pointed to Zackwell. "Torture him until I get back!"

Lucifer unveiled his tremendous wings, wrapped in hellfire and began flapping them, heading for the surface.

The demons jumped Zackwell. He fought back with all his might, clawing and kicking away his oppressors, but he was in little shape to do so. Their claws seared his spiritual flesh and their blades stuck him deep, but nothing would kill him, not here.

It would only last so long, though. Lucifer would kill the last hybrid and then come back to destroy him once and for all. It would all be over very soon. His pain, his project, his existence, his hope…all gone. Everything he had worked so hard to obtain, crumbling before him. All of it…all gone.

Fallen…so far…from so high…so long ago. Had he really come down to this? Was this all that was left in the end? A pathetic wretch, a pitiful excuse for a creature?

A failure? As the pain seared through him, Zackwell focused his mind on his old life, up there on the surface. It seemed so far away now, so out of reach. He wanted so badly to be there again, just like it used to be. High and mighty, in charge, all-powerful. Status, fame, power.

How was he here now? How had he taken such a plunge? What could have brought him down from so high up? What had knocked him off his pedestal?

The Dragoons…they had toppled him. Sean…he had struck him down. Even his own project…his hybrid…had…

No…no…no…not his project. Not his hybrid. Not his master plan. Not his creation. Not his puppet! The Dragoons were hard enough to comprehend, but his own creature? His own hard work? Something _he_ had created? Something to which _he _had given life?! That was too much to bear.

Zackwell seethed at the thought of his invention, smiling up there on the surface, free of the pain and agony. He would never know torture like this. He would be killed swiftly, no doubt. Zackwell hissed at the thought of him taking up the scythe, the mark of the King of Darkness on Earth. _His_ scythe, torn from his hands. _His_ legacy.

"No…" Zackwell whispered, starting to stand again after the torture. "Not you…" The spears and swords stuck him, but Zackwell no longer paid them any mind. "Not MY creation! You are MY puppet! MY hybrid!" He screamed it to the surface. "Them I cannot comprehend! The Dragoons I cannot control! Sean I cannot overpower!

"But you?! No…no…I will not allow it! I won't let my own invention get the best of me!! You will not ruin me! I will not have his mark upon me! I will not be the victim of my own design!!"

The fires of hatred and malice surged through his body. "I will not bow down to you! I will not give you authority over me!!" Zackwell spread his great wings in a mighty eruption of power. The demons surrounding him flew away in all directions.

"YOU WILL NOT MARK ME!!!" Zackwell pumped his wings, shooting for the surface.

* * *

The sound of footsteps broke the hybrid's concentration. It turned and saw the Dragoons slowly approaching him, arms ready for combat, just in case. 

Christie made her way forward and drew back and arrow in her bow, pointing it at the hybrid.

"Whoa, hey!" Chris jumped. "It's me!"

"Prove it!" She demanded.

He seemed hesitant, not sure how to abide by her request. Finally, a solution came to his mind. With a dim flash, the young man split into two. One was human, the other something else.

Christie was stunned by the split, then quickly turned her aim to the dark creature.

"Mom, no!" Chris jumped in the way. "Don't shoot!"

"Why not?"

"Didn't you see it? He helped me."

Christie looked at Z.S., who just shrugged, then back at Chris.

"It's okay, Mom."

Slowly, Christie lowered her bow and wrapped her arms around her son. "I'm so glad you're okay. We've been looking everywhere for you!"

"I'm sorry," Chris muttered. "I had to get away."

"We heard what happened," Ben said, putting his hand on Chris's shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"It wasn't your fault."

Ben looked at Z.S. "So what's your story?"

"Me?" Z.S. raised a brow. "I'm just here to see what develops."

"He was trying to figure out how we stopped the massacre at the train station," Chris explained. "Yeah, he helped me with that, too. He's helped me a lot. I lied about being in control."

"Why have you been helping out?" Sean asked him.

"I told you. I want to see where this power goes, what it can do. What's the purpose of a hybrid like us?" He walked up and slung one arm over Chris's shoulders. "A bit overwhelming, I understand. Suddenly, you have twins!" He laughed, but no one else did.

"I think it's safe to trust him," Chris said.

"You sure?" Ben asked.

"Why the sudden change of heart?" Christie asked. "You used to fear him."

"I stopped being afraid. I've been running from who I am. Z.S. taught me how to use it for my own purpose."

Z.S. stepped back. "Kid's a slow learner, but he's alright."

Ben looked at both of them, then at Christie. "Now what?"

* * *

Lucifer emerged in the red level. He prepared himself for one great leap in order to surprise and destroy the opponent. Suddenly, a demon above him caught his attention. 

"My Lord Lucifer! Word from the Black Level! Zackwell has escaped!!"

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Zackwell erupted through the floor and rocketed for the surface, fire and fury in his eyes.

"The fools!" Lucifer leapt after him.

Zackwell gave everything he had into his flight, but Lucifer was infinitely faster. He grabbed onto Zackwell, digging his claws into his flesh. Zackwell emitted a wail, but kept flying, pouring his energy into his wings to carry him all the way.

"You will not interfere!" Lucifer boomed, digging his claws further into his side.

"He's mine!" Zackwell roared. "I won't let him mark me!! I'll kill him myself!" He drew nearer and nearer to the surface, despite Lucifer's grip. "I'll kill him!! I'LL KILL HIM!!"

* * *

"How do we know we can trust you?" Sean asked. 

"You don't." Z.S. said simply. "It's your choice whether to trust me or not."

"I don't like it," Robert said.

"He _did_ help out, though." Brad said.

While they spoke, Chris began to feel and odd tingle.

"What do you think, Christie?" Sean asked her.

Christie wasn't sure what to say.

The tingle was growing.

"Believe it or not," Z.S. said, "I'm also your son."

Christie didn't seem to like the thought of it.

Chris looked around, feeling something coming. "Do you feel that?" He asked Z.S.

Z.S. turned to him. "Feel what?"

"Something dark."

Z.S. tuned his senses and his eyes narrowed. "Something's coming."

They all began to look around, but saw nothing.

Then, Chris saw a red ripple in the air, right behind Z.S. "LOOK OUT!!"

Z.S. turned just too late. Heat erupted from a seam in the air, forcing the Dragoons back. Z.S. stumbled a bit and looked up. He saw a maniacal face roaring in pain and fury, hands outstretched, bloodthirsty. He would have surely been taken, but Chris suddenly tackled him at great speed, moving him out of the way.

Zackwell's claws clutched Chris tightly as a hand yanked him back into the fiery void that had appeared.

"CHRIS!!" Christie cried out.

The portal was still open. Zack get up and leapt at the portal. Suddenly, a horrific figure emerged from it and ran his sword through Z.S.'s belly. Z.S. stopped in mid leap, frozen in pain and shock. The figure removed his blade and returned through the portal.

Z.S. fell to his knees, clutching his stomach. The portal began closing.

"No!" Z.S. stretched out his arm, stopping the closure.

"What was that?!" Ben exclaimed.

"Was that…Zackwell?!" Sean was aghast.

Christie ran to Z.S. "What happened to Chris?!"

"Zackwell…his hatred for me was so strong that he…broke free." Z.S. strained to hold open the portal. "But Chris took my place. Zackwell has him now."

"You have to get him back!"

"I'm a little unable." Z.S. moved his hand to show the glowing red wound, which was slowly beginning to spread. "Soul Shredder…and no ordinary brand." He looked at the portal. "That was Lucifer…he wanted to deal with me personally…what an honor."

"How can we get him back then?"

"You?" Z.S. chuckled. "You can do nothing. But me…I'm trying to keep the portal open. Chris is strong. Maybe he can find a way out. But…" he lowered his head, watching the dark magic worm its way across his flesh. He tried his best to reverse it or halt it, but Lucifer's power was too great. "I can't…I don't have the strength…or the time."

"You can't just give up!" Christie pleaded. "I thought you wanted to help."

"I wanted to see where the power went." He sighed. "I suppose this is the end of the line." He didn't like it. Finally, he was starting to see, and now…

_You won't know real might until you're willing to give yourself up for somebody else._

Where were those words coming from? Where had he heard that phrase? Chris…he had said that once…before they were friends. Friends… Z.S. wondered…was it true? Was Chris right?

Slowly Z.S. got to his feet, forcing the red magic to slow a little, giving him the time he needed.

"What are you doing?" Christie asked him.

"Trying to save your son…"

"Changed your mind?"

He smirked. "Not at all." His face became serious again. "There are rules in order…powerful rules." He hollered to the void. "Even you…you endless abyss…you must adhere to them!" He began walking towards the portal. "You have one that doesn't belong to you. He's done nothing worthy of the Abyss. Zackwell made a mistake…I'm the one who should be there, not him! Let him go!"

No response. Over two-thirds of Z.S.'s body was glowing red now.

"Stay open…" He was almost pleading now. "Give him a chance…take me instead. Come on!" He spread his arms as he got dangerously close. "Take me! Take me! TAKE ME!!"

Great flames suddenly rushed from the void and engulfed Z.S. entirely. The last thing the Dragoons heard was an agonized cry. When the flames cleared, Z.S. was gone.

The portal, however, was still open.

* * *

Chris didn't know what hurt worse, Zackwell's flesh-piercing grip, or the tongues of flame that licked at him. 

Down, down, down they plunged into a seemingly infinite abyss of fire, sulfur, and screams. The heat was searing and intense. The fire was everywhere; the abyss _was_ fire, and there was no escaping it. He even felt like he was breathing in the flames. As he fell, he passed a thousand Doppler-effect screams, tuning in and out, one after another. Demonic hisses and roars filled the air otherwise. That, and, of course, Zackwell's heavy breathing.

The pain surrounding him made Chris helpless to fight back, even if he knew enough about what was going on to do so. The fall was eternal, and when Chris finally saw the ground through the flames, it was too late to do anything about it. With a loud thud, they hit the ground like a satellite fallen from space. Darkness clouded Chris's world for a moment.

The demons swarmed Zackwell, knocking him backwards. He fought them off, still in a black fury. Chris shook off his confusion, but couldn't concentrate well with the heat and pain of this place. Using the power within himself, he summoned a great light to surround him, soothing his pains and deflecting the flames. It was still hot and the spell didn't work entirely, but it was much better than before.

The light show got everyone's attention. They turned and stared at the intruder. Chris felt very uneasy.

"One of _them_!" A demon shouted.

"He brought an outsider in!" Another wheezed.

A scraggly demon hobbled forward. "Kill him now, before he brings others!"

"GET BACK!!" Zackwell roared, grabbing him by the throat and hurling him across the void. "He's mine!!"

"Zackwell," Chris whispered. "How?"

Zackwell spread his arms, an insane, sadistic smile painting his face. "Welcome to my home!" He chuckled a little. "My birthplace!" His cheeks twitched as the smile slowly faded away. "My _prison_!" The flames intensified with his words. "You…you have ruined me!!"

"You have ruined yourself!" Called a deep, booming voice. Chris looked up and saw a creature descend. His very aura sent a million shivers across Chris's spine and seemed to turn up the heat of this place. Chris had never seen him before, but he knew that it was _Him_. "Just couldn't let it go, could you?"

"My Lord!" Zackwell said, "Let me fight him! Destroy me if you must, but let me undo this mistake first!"

"_I_ have already undone it, Zackwell. _I_ destroyed the traitor." He waved his hand at Chris, who was standing in horror. "Without his dark counterpart, this creature is nothing to me."

"Please!" he begged. "Let me fight him! Let me tear his flesh from his bones! If I win, the problem will be completely erased and I may die in peace. But if he wins, you will have a nuisance destroyed and a weakened enemy! Either way, you won't have to lift a finger!"

Chris figured he had a better chance against Zackwell than Lucifer. "Besides," he put in, "wouldn't you love to see Zackwell take a massive beating?"

Lucifer turned to him. "You seem eager to fight him."

Chris nodded. "I owe him a few."

Lucifer chuckled. "Perhaps your counterpart has rubbed off on you." He looked them both over. "I admit, I am not fond of either of you. Perhaps I will let this fight ensue and see what becomes of it. I'm sure my people feel the same way. The Dragoons have lowered their morale. I am certain they would love to see two of their enemies fight to the death."

A roar of cheers followed from the demons all around, on the ground, on the ledges, floating above, from anywhere they could see the fight.

"Very well." Lucifer chuckled. "I, too, could use a little 'entertainment'."

"Do you know what would make it even more entertaining?" Zackwell prompted. "How about making it an even match?"

Lucifer's eyes narrowed. "What does that mean?"

"My hatred is strong, but I have been weakened by the months of torture." He held out his hand, hopeful. "My weapon?"

Lucifer was hesitant. Chris was holding his breath. In a quick motion, Lucifer summoned the scythe and tossed it. Zackwell grabbed it and instantly felt strength returning to that hand. He eyes of the scythe shone with evil brilliance as that strength and vigor traveled through Zackwell's body, covering him in the deepest darkness.

"Yes…" he marveled. "Yes! My…POWER!!" Black spark crackled over his body as the flames around him began to swell. Chris summoned his spear, ready to go at any minute. "Commander of evil…wielder of the black flame…King of DARKNESS!!" He thrust his scythe in the air as the power radiated. "Ha, ha, HA!! The power is mine again!!" he slammed the scythe into the ground. Blue cracks formed as flames rushed upward, putting on a phenomenal light show.

Chris braced himself for anything. Zackwell flapped his wings once, feeling their original strength again. "I created you to be an ultimate being, a creature of unstoppable might! This ought to be good! The King of Darkness, versus his greatest creation! Come on, boy! Let's give them a _HELL-OF-A-SHOW!!!!_"

Zackwell was all-too-eager to make the first strike. He rushed at Chris in a demonic fury, swinging his scythe about. Chris ducked and spun out of the way, blocking at times with his spear, but Zackwell as fiercer than Chris had ever seen him before. He wanted revenge…_bad_.

Zackwell spun a low kick and Chris jumped. Zackwell kept spinning, his leg higher up. Chris flapped his wings to flip over it, bouncing off Zackwell's head and throwing a light ball behind him. Zackwell put the scythe behind his head and deflected it, then turned around.

"How do you intend to survive down here? The dark flames will scorch you to the core."

"I have a trick up my sleeve."

"Oh yeah?" Zackwell chuckled. "And what might that be?"

"Purpose."

"Purpose?"

"It's something my counterpart taught me. Purpose gives a person power." His eyes narrowed. "Now he's dead because of you."

"So what?" Zackwell spread his arms. "Are you going to avenge him? Is that your plan? Vengeance and hatred are _dark_ purposes. They won't help you."

"I'm not going to avenge him," Chris shook his head as his eyes began to shimmer. "Justice…punishment…those are my weapons." His wings shone with incredible light, filling his body with holy power. The light engulfed him, unveiling his true form, a humanoid creature with great wings, glowing blue eyes, and a long, thin, white spear.

Chris lunged, thrusting his spear, but Zackwell jumped backwards. Chris swung it upwards and around, slashing at Zackwell and leaving a white trail in the air. He stayed above the ground a little, swiping at Zackwell while keeping a distance with the length of his weapon. Zackwell evaded a stab and lunged at him, spinning his scythe, but Chris maneuvered out of the way and stabbed him from behind.

Zackwell roared and looked at the blade sticking from his belly. He grabbed it and yanked it forward, pulling Chris in, then spun and bashed him in the face. Zackwell yanked out the spear and threw it at him, although Chris quickly caught it. Zackwell teleported into a spinning kick, then punched him into the air three times and slammed him into the ground.

He landed near Chris and spoke as he tried to stand. "You think you're the only one with a purpose, boy?" He chuckled. "We demons can have purpose, too. Hatred…rage…revenge…ha, ha, HA! You lost a companion. I've suffered in Hell! Tell me if you think you stand a chance."

Chris had to admit that Zackwell's purpose was very strong. He was going to have to step it up. Chris shone with great power and rushed at his foe, utilizing his full speed. To his surprise, though, Zackwell shot out his hand and punched him in mid-run, then knocked him away with a fiery swipe. Chris slid on his back and got back up, confused.

"Not here, boy," He chuckled. "And not against your creator." He jumped, swinging his scythe down. Chris blocked and pushed back, spinning into an attack. Zackwell bent backwards to avoid it and countered with a recoil strike, bouncing back up into a head butt. Chris jumped back with the hit to narrowly elude a deadly swipe and another.

Chris planted his spear in the ground and flipped over it to kick Zackwell backwards and then spun into a slice. The wound healed itself splendidly and Zackwell rushed in for a counterattack. As he came near, Chris bent backwards and shot his foot up, bashing Zackwell's face, then ran him through with the spear and tore it out upwards.

Zackwell roared and shot a black ray from his scythe, then followed through with a furious punch and kick. Chris took the hits and blocked the next punch, jumping to the other side of Zackwell. The demon only turned as he kicked, shooting Chris further than he anticipated. He landed on one leg and quickly got the other under himself to attack again.

As Zackwell swung his scythe, Chris ducked under it and shot up for a punch, but Zackwell teleported into a swipe. Chris anticipated this and bent backwards, blocking the scythe from above with his scythe. Zackwell pressed down, forcing Chris into an unbearable backbend. In a tricky maneuver, Chris swung one leg up over his head and kicked Zackwell in the face. He stumbled back and Chris spun around, running his spear into his belly and upwards, protruding through his skull.

While Zackwell cried out, Chris jumped up and bounced off him, getting some momentum for the upward flight. He had to get out-now. He didn't get far, though. Zackwell suddenly appeared, with the spear still in his body and knocked Chris back down. Zackwell rushed downward, clinging on to Chris with his claws in his sides.

They flew back down to the ground and through it. Zackwell used his powers to force them through to the second level, forged in blue fire. The heat doubled, although Chris didn't know how. The shield he had put around himself wasn't working anymore and he was feeling the heat.

Desperate, Chris yanked his spear out of Zackwell's body and stabbed him in the temple. He released him and Chris flipped to land on his feet. Instantly, he began shining his light brighter in attempt to shield himself from the more powerful flames. With a white flash, he strengthened his shield. It wasn't the best, but he wasn't burning alive anymore.

Still, the heat was getting to him. His mouth was dry, though his face was soaked with sweat. He was dehydrating, and fast. Five minutes here, and he already felt like he was going to die. Was this how they all felt?

Zackwell surprised him with an attack that left a nasty slice across Chris's side. He tried to recover and looked for Zackwell, but he was hiding in the flames. He tried to feel for him, but the darkness was abundantly ambient. Zackwell could be hiding _anywhere_.

A flash of red caught his attention. Chris spun and blocked just in time. He was pushed back a few feet, but it was much better than being dead.

"Your eyes give you away," Chris said, jumping into a kick, which Zackwell easily caught. Zackwell pushed onto his back and leapt for the kill. Chris rolled away, burning himself on the sizzling coals. Zackwell swung his scythe like a golf club, forcing Chris away with a dark wave. Chris pushed himself up. His hands burned on the ground. He looked at them and saw the flesh peeling.

"Too hot for you?" Zackwell asked. "Try being stuck down here for months!" He teleported into a punch. Chris stumbled, but really didn't want to fall again. "Try being doomed to this place for all eternity!" He punched him again. "You don't know pain, boy! I know pain! _That_ is what makes me strong. This pain, this hatred! The fires of Hell only strengthen me now! The searing heat gives me power! Gives me motive!"

He rushed into a three-kick combo and sliced at Chris, cutting his chest, then forced him back in a dark wave. Chris fell onto his stomach and cried out in pain. When he stood back up, the wound had cauterized. It was that quick.

Chris breathed heavily. The fumes of this place were just too much. And the heat! All his strength was going to the shield. He had none left for himself.

Zackwell slowly walked towards Chris, faking a few strikes to scare him. "But guess what, boy. My pain doesn't end here." He waved his hands around. "These cells may be for the darker of humans, but for me…for my kind…there is a special place reserved for them."

He rushed forward, punching Chris in the gut so he would drop his spear and grabbed him by the throat. "Let me show you!" He swung Chris around and threw him at the ground. Chris crashed through it like it was glass. The light of the blue flames vanished nearly instantly as darker ones suddenly took over. Chris was free-falling in a sea of black fire.

His shield was virtually useless now, but Chris clung to it, trying to remove even a little bit of this pain. The black flames covered him charring him. He couldn't fight it. They smothered him. When he breathed, he only got fumes that burned his lungs from the inside. The sweat on his face vanished in the heat that stole all moisture from him.

He lost track of time and place as he fell, his body focusing only on the pain. Suddenly, he hit the bottom and cried out as the coals singed him. As painful as it was, Chris couldn't get away from them. His body was too weak to move, and the pain was too great.

The screams here were the greatest. And yet…he could barely hear them. Everything was faint here. Was it the heat? Was it he pain? Or did screams go unheard in this place?

A sharp kick as his side jolted him. A foot pushed him back onto his back and stomped on his chest, pressing him into the burning soil.

"Can't stand it, can you?" Zackwell's voice asked. He couldn't even see his eyes in this place. "Believe it or not, this was not the extent of my pain. The torture…the torture!" His voice was choked as he thought of it. "Black-fire torture…the worst any man, beast, or spirit could ever endure." His hands shook as he spoke of it.

Chris was able to manage a small cry of pain. Zackwell kicked him in the ribs. "SHUT UP!!" He kicked him with every word. "YOU-DON'T-KNOW-PAIN!!" Chris rolled on the ground as Zackwell spoke. "This is nothing compared to me! Don't you DARE complain to me!! You can't imagine what I've had to endure down here! The fire, the fumes, the blades, the gnashing teeth!" He stomped on Chris again. "THAT is pain! THAT is pain! _THAT_ IS PAIN!!"

Chris felt something moist drop on his cheek. He could've sworn is was a teardrop, but it evaporated before he could tell. Even if it was, it would be indistinguishable from his own.

"Black fire," another voice said. Chris believe it to belong to Lucifer. "The deadliest substance known. If it were to escape this place," He laughed. "Oh, what would befall your precious world? It was where Zackwell was first created…as well as your counterpart."

Chris laid his head back on the ground, just about ready to give up.

"A creature born of fire, doomed to return to fire. Yet you took his place. A foolish move."

"He…" Chris whispered. "he was…"

"A traitor," Lucifer interrupted. "He turned against his brethren, a crime that does not go unpunished, no matter the circumstances. He betrayed us, so I destroyed him." He chuckled. "You were supposed to live on as an annoyance, nothing more. But you chose to take the torture instead. You chose to come here, down into the darkest darkness, into the deepest depths. A place of fire. A place of endless thirst. A place of unimaginable torture."

_The one place I could be reconstructed._

Lucifer froze in place, slowly looking around. "No…"

"Who was that?!" Zackwell demanded, waving his scythe around.

_The last nightmare you will ever endure._

Chris felt a hand touch his chest. Then, he felt a great light coming from his body and illuminating the darkness around him. Zackwell was blown away, but another figure was not.

"C'mon, Chris!" He picked Chris up and helped him to his feet. "I can dim the effect of this place to nearly nil. You can fight the darkness. Together we can do this!"

"You dare return to this place?!" Lucifer boomed.

"There's no time to lose, Chris!" Z.S. began restoring him, healing the burn wounds. "The portal is still open, but only until we exit."

Chris looked up at him as his strength returned. "How?"

Z.S. chuckled. "You were right about the whole self-sacrifice thing. Gave me the power to stay alive."

"YOU!!" Zackwell erupted. "You betrayed me!! You condemned me here!!"

"You condemned yourself, Zackwell!" Z.S. scoffed.

Zackwell roared in anger and lunged.

"Come on!" Z.S. said, flashing his power. In a great light, the two independent figures came together. As promised, Z.S. created an invisible shield across their body that dimmed the flames to a slightly bearable level. Chris would do most of the fighting, since he could overpower darkness.

The collision of power knocked Zackwell back, but he was quick to stand, brandishing his blade. Chris summoned his own. With Z.S.'s power and his own combined, his long sword appeared, brimming with dark fire.

"Found your weapon, did you?" Zackwell smirked. "Unfortunately, I did not design it to overpower mine." Dark fire swarmed across his scythe.

"I don't have to overpower your blade," Chris said. "I only have to overpower you." He jumped at Zackwell. Their blades clashed in a shower of red sparks. They clashed weapons over and over, creating flashes in the darkness as they danced across the fiery coals in a flurry of attacks.

Chris swung a great attack, but Zackwell blocked and struck him in the ribs with his knee. Chris lurched, but blocked the next swipe and bashed him in the face with his elbow and kicked him away. Zackwell teleported with the impact and turned for another attack, but Chris spun and gave an uppercut to stun him, then blasted him with a white ray.

_Chris,_ Z.S. said. _My power won't last forever. Let's get out of the black level._

Chris was more than willing to comply. He kicked Zackwell in the stomach, head-butted him, and knocked him away. Then, his spread his great wings and shot upward at high speed. Before long, he erupted through the black level and emerged in the blue. He landed to regain his bearing.

Zackwell shot through the ground, tackling him upwards. Chris pounded on Zackwell's back, trying to break his grip, then stabbed him with his blade. Zackwell was nearly unaffected and just shoved Chris away, then swung his scythe for the kill. Chris swung his own blade to deflect it and then deflected the many to come. Then, they got into a lock and pushed back and forth against each other.

"You wanted me to great, Zackwell," Chris said. He shoved back and stabbed him with the blade, then jumped up and kicked him in the head. "You wanted me to be mighty!"

Z.S. began to speak as he pounded Zackwell with his fists. "You wanted me to be a beast of ultimate destruction!" He kicked him back and dashed through him with his blade. "You wanted me to be a fiend of supremacy to all races!!"

Together, they swung their blade upwards and gathered all their power into it.

"Well guess what, Zackwell!" They said in unison. "_YOU SUCCEEDED!!!!_"

A supreme beam of light and darkness lanced from the beam and pierced Zackwell through. It engulfed him in a great explosion of white fire that burned hotter than anything he had ever felt before, a force no living thing could endure.

Chris smiled, but then heard the sound of metal sliding. He turned and saw Lucifer slowly drawing his sword from its sheath.

"Uh-oh." Chris whimpered.

_We can't win!_ Z.S. said. _We have to go-NOW!!_

Too late. Lucifer was charging.

Chris feared a defensive stance, so he leapt over Lucifer, who reached up and grabbed his leg, then threw him to the ground and covered him in a stream of black fire. Panicked, Chris jumped out of the flames, but met a swinging kick that knocked him into the air and another that sent him flying.

Chris landed and saw no option but to fight. He filled his sword with all the white power he could muster and charged. He swung three mighty strikes, but Lucifer stood and blocked perfectly. The last one parried Chris's blade and Lucifer struck back, tearing through him with his glowing sword. He swung through him several times. Z.S. restored the body as best he could, but it was taking a massive beating.

Lucifer continued his assault, dashing upward to tear through him again, then pointed his sword and dashed through him in midair, then dashed back. Chris fell to the ground, but somehow landed on his feet. He had to leave. Lucifer would kill him in seconds. Lucifer landed and Chris gave it one shot.

He charged at Lucifer and gave a might downward swing. As he hoped, Lucifer held up his blade and blocked efficiently. But Chris hadn't wanted to pierce his defenses. He only wanted the momentum so he could roll over the blade and kick off of Lucifer's chest to shoot himself upward.

Recovering swiftly, Lucifer extended his hand. Near the top of the blue level, Chris suddenly stopped moving upward, though his wings are still flapping.

"What's going on?!" Chris exclaimed.

_He's holding us,_ Z.S. said. _I may be a traitor, but I'm still one of his! He has a grip that I can't break!_

"He owns you, but he doesn't own me!"

Chris wrapped his wings around his body and gathered holy energy. With a great outcry, unfurled his wings in a great white light. Lucifer's grip broke as the pierced his power for a second. That was all Z.S. needed to transport them to the final level.

They landed and looked up. "Just one more level!" Chris said.

_This is the longest stretch,_ Z.S. said. _Keep your wits and lets do it!_

Suddenly, Lucifer appeared nearby and lifted his sword to the air. "Full alert!!" He roared in a mighty voice that trembled the very foundations of the Abyss. "Full alert!!" he could be heard in every level, in every cell. "All hands to the red level!!"

Just as he had called them, demons sprouted from every hole, every crevice across the red level, swarming the cells. More shot up from the ground, twisted and terrible from the blue and black levels, vile and powerful. They were all armed to the teeth and ready to Lucifer's next order.

Lucifer pointed his sword at his foe. "Kill the traitor! Kill the intruder! Kill the hybrid!!"

They began to swarm.

"No such thing as overkill, huh?" Chris scoffed. His sword suddenly turned into a white spear. Z.S. split himself from Chris.

"Obviously not." He brandished a simple demon blade. "Two heads are better than one! LET'S GO!!"

An endless swarm of red eyes and black wings rushed over them. Chris and Z.S. began combining their individual talents. Z.S. spread his arms and unleashed his dark might, creating great explosions to blow the away the oncoming demons in quick flashes. Chris shone in great brilliance as he danced around his comrade in speed that could not be measured, decapitating the heads of any who came too near.

Their onslaught seemed to last forever in flashes of white and black, but the demons kept coming.

"How many are there?!" Chris shouted as he dashed around.

Z.S. strained to talk while he expelled his power. "How many grains of sand are there on a beach?!"

"Wonderful!"

"I told you! We need to get out of here now!!"

"Then let's go!"

Chris flew down to his counterpart. Z.S. grabbed his hand and threw him upward. Chris spun with his wings spread, each emitting a long white light that smacked away the demons that flew at him. Z.S. pounded at the foes below until Chris came falling back down.

In a flash, they combined into one and shot upwards like a bullet, breaking through the demon dome.

"Let's get out of here!!" Chris said.

Lucifer watched the demons chase, but this foe was fast. He needed to be equally fast. His eyes shone with evil brilliance as power swelled within him. In a great rush of power, the demons were suddenly converted into fire, as was Lucifer. The fire wrapped itself into the shape of a very angry dragon and took flight, flapping its wings furiously in hot pursuit.

Chris and Z.S. heard the roar and looked down.

_FLY!!_ Z.S. shouted. _FLY FOR ALL YOU'RE WORTH!!!_

They did fly, each combining their powers and focusing them solely on their wings. They looked down again and saw the dragon gaining on them rapidly.

_We're not gonna make it!!_ Z.S. shouted.

Chris then split himself from Z.S. "KEEP GOING!!"

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

Chris dove down, right into the dragon's mouth.

"CHRIS!! NO!!!"

A sudden explosion of white light tore the dragon apart. Chris shot back upwards. It would only work for a second, but every second counted.

Z.S. smiled. "Good job! Come on!" He extended his hand. Chris flapped his wings, reaching out.

Z.S. swore he heard a heavy panting. Z.S. turned and saw Zackwell running up the prison cells on all fours, then leap at them. "LOOK OUT!!"

Zackwell grabbed Chris and pulled him back down.

"YOU WILL NOT MARK ME!! _YOU WILL NOT MARK ME!!" _

Z.S. looked up. The portal was _right there_!! He turned back down and rushed at Zackwell, running his blade through his head. Zackwell roared, but wouldn't let go. Z.S. saw the dragon shaking off the explosion. He sank his sharp teeth into Zackwell's neck while running his sharp claws into his sides over and over.

At long, long last, Zackwell's grip faltered. Chris broke free and began flying again. He looked down and saw the Z.S. was still trapped. He also saw the dragon starting to charge again. He fired a great white ray to tear through Zackwell. Z.S. broke free and shot for the surface. Zackwell was hot behind him and the dragon was behind them all, roaring in utmost fury.

"GO! GO! GO!!" Z.S. hollered, pointing to the void.

Almost there,! Almost there!! Almost there!!!

They grabbed on to each other and tried merging, but Zackwell grabbed Z.S.'s foot. Chris held onto him and both of them kept flying as Z.S. tried to break free.

A rush of cool air suddenly washed over them as they broke the surface. Chris was clinging to Z.S. and Zackwell to him. Behind them, the head of a great dragon rushed upwards, jaws wide open.

In a slow-motion moment, Z.S. saw the fiery jaws of the dragon rising around them. In a last-ditch effort, Z.S. grabbed Chris by his shirt.

"Go!!" He forced him upward with a dark wave. Chris lost his grip. Frantic, he stretched his hand back down, as Z.S. stretched his hand upwards. "Live on!!"

The jaws of the dragon snapped shut, narrowly missing Chris's fingers. Its prey caught, the dragon fell back down through the void. Chris shot down after them, but the void closed as soon as the dragon was through and Chris crashed into the ground.

Shaking off the pain, Chris jumped to his knees, searching around himself desperately for the void, hoping it wasn't really gone.

"No, no, NO!!"

A sudden rush of water interrupted his thoughts.

In his desperation, Chris hadn't realized he was still sizzling and burning from the fires of Hell. Brittany had forged a stream of water to cool him off. Christie used her light to help spear the darkness and soothe the fires.

When the finally stopped, Christie rushed to him and dropped to her knees, wrapping her arms around her son.

"Oh, thank God!" She said. "You're okay!!"

Chris shoved her away and jumped to his feet, still looking around. "Where is he!? Where is he?!"

"Who?" Christie asked, standing.

"Z.S.!! Where is he?!"

"That…thing swallowed him and-"

"DYAH!!" Chris slammed his fists on the ground. At last, he gave himself a chance to breathe as he took it all in. "We were so close…we were so close…"

Christie knelt down and put her hand on his shoulder. "I think he did it for you. I heard him say, 'Live on.'"

"Yeah," Chris nodded. "He did…but it's not fair…he doesn't deserve that place anymore. He sacrificed himself for me!"

"That was his choice."

Chris just looked back at the ground. Christie knelt and enveloped him again. "I'm sorry."

Chris didn't respond. He just stared at the pavement, lost in his deep thoughts. After what seemed like an eternity, he stood back up.

"Chris?" Christie asked. "What is it?"

Chris didn't answer right away. "All my life, I've been running from myself. I've been running from who I am, who I'm supposed to be. But all that running got me nowhere. Finally, today, I just accepted who I was. It was like an incredible weight was lifted off my shoulders." He smiled for a bit, then looked down again. "But then all this happened. I finally come to terms with myself and…it all falls apart."

He turned to his mother. "But I promised myself that I wouldn't run anymore. I'm not going to deny who I am anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not a human. I'm not a demon." He looked up. "I'm certainly no angel." He looked back at her. "I'm a hybrid…sent here to be all-powerful." He shook his head. "But I don't think there's a place here for any such creature."

Christie wasn't liking it. "What are you saying?"

Chris looked at the ground. "He gave his life for me…and I gave mine for his. Neither sacrifice helped us in the end." He chuckled. "We were working alone. You'd think we would have learned." He only laughed to hide back the tears. "I'm going back to him. I can't do this myself, and he can't do it himself either. We need to be together to work…to fight."

"You're going to try and save him?"

Chris wasn't sure how to answer. "Yes and no. I'm going to save him from torture…but neither of us will be coming back. Together, we're going to fulfill our destiny and show Zackwell what power really means."

Christie nodded. "Okay."

Chris was stunned. "Okay? That's it? You're not going to argue with me?"

She shook her head. "You've been so confused this whole time. This is the first time I've seen you so certain. Besides…only you know your destiny. I'm not going to stand in your way."

With a smile, Chris walked forward and embraced her. She returned the gesture.

"I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, son." She wept.

A few seconds later, Chris parted with her, though she held onto his hands a little longer. "I was meant to possess unbearable power. I'm not going to unleash that on the world…but I'm not going to let it go to waste either."

"I know."

Chris took a deep breath. "Thank you…for everything." He looked at the Dragoons. "I couldn't have asked for a better family." Chris flapped his wings and got some altitude as he powered up to his true form. "You guys can take it from here." With his ultimate might, Chris opened another portal, though it wouldn't stay open long.

Chris swooped in a full circle for the effect and flew down into the void, shouting, "Farewell!!"

The voice closed and he was gone.

* * *

Zackwell ran his scythe through Z.S.'s stomach. He and several other demons were persecuting Z.S. in the Black Level for his behavior. He still spat at them and fought back. He didn't stand a real chance, though. This was merely the torture before the destruction. 

As Lucifer stabbed him through, Z.S. heard a voice.

_You said yourself that sacrifice was the greatest power source. You and I are supposed to be the most powerful creature ever, but our sacrifices were in vain because were are powerless alone. If we are to truly show our power…we need to be together._

"Together?" Z.S. whispered.

"What was that?" Lucifer demanded. He didn't answer.

_Aren't you dying to know the limit of the power we can yield?_

Z.S. smiled. "Yes…I am."

"What are you talking about?" Lucifer demanded. Z.S. didn't answer. He just smiled.

_I'm coming,_ Chris said.

"I'm waiting." Z.S. spread his arms.

Lucifer looked up, seeing past the layers of Hell. He saw it coming and did the only logical thing: he ran. Lucifer turned and fled from the scene as fast as he could run. Zackwell saw him run and stared in confusion. Then, he felt a great light. He looked up and his eyes widened in horror.

Chris rocketed down in a great white rush. When he connected with his comrade, they erupted in quick blast of power that only lasted a second, but wiped out everyone unlucky enough to be close by.

Lucifer stood back up and shook the daze from his head, as well as the snow from his cape. He looked back and glared at the light left behind, shimmering off a thousand little icicles. With a heat wave, Lucifer destroyed them all. Many of his forces were never seen again.

Before they faded away completely, the tiny remaining shreds of Chris's and Z.S.'s souls floated to one another. The two exchanged a high-five.

Well done, Prince of Darkness.

Well done, Son of Light.

THE END

AUTHOR'S NOTE: And That's the way it was. MAN, that was fun to write! Well, there you have it, the grand finale. Thus concludes the series, The Legend of Dragoon: The Next Generation. Actually, Spike's story marked the official ending. This was just a bonus, so to speak. I'm glad you all recieved it so well.

Well, the series is over now. Spike and I have agreed to let it be for good. Maybe we'll change our minds in the future, but who knows? For now, we are through with this series. Spike may continue his story, Legacy from the Ashes, but that's up to him. Thank you all for your wonderful support and the flowing reveiws. All we ask is for one more wave of them. We have thoroughly enjoyed this series and we have loved being part of your lives. Thank you and good night! Ciao!


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